The Unexpected
by Awesomeness02
Summary: One day Momo mysteriously disappears. But when Toshiro enters High School, a new student transfers to his class. The new student turns out to be his childhood friend, the one who disappeared from his life. How will his life be now that she's back?
1. Memories At Sunset

**The Unexpected**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

I've decided to set this Fan Fiction in modern day time so they're not in the Edo Era.

**Summary:** When Hitsugaya and Hinamori were young they were always together. Suddenly, one day Momo mysteriously and unknowingly disappears. But when Toshiro enters High School as a 1st Year he receives information about a new transfer student in his class. The new student turns out to be his childhood friend, the one who disappeared from his life. How will his life be now that she's back?

This is my first Bleach Fan Fiction! If there are any errors then please do not hesitate to tell me! Enjoy! ;D

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Memories At Sunset<strong>

"_Lil' Shiro!"_

"_Stop calling me that! It's just Toshiro not 'Lil' Shiro'!" the small boy said, annoyed._

"_But Lil' Shiro is Lil' Shiro..." replied the young girl with dark hair. He glared at her._

"_Lil' Shiro do you want some watermelon or not? They're in season right now!"_

"_Ok ok!"_

_They happily ate the juicy watermelon together and watched the sun start to set._

"_Hey...Lil' Shiro?" Momo put her watermelon down and looked at the ground._

"_What now?" Toshiro continued to munch away at the melon._

"_Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious._

"_No." He answered fast._

"_WHAT? Why?"_

"_Because if you were gone...Munch...then I wouldn't be called Lil' Shiro all the time! Munch Munch..."_

"_I'm serious Lil' Shiro!"_

"_Hmph! I'm not gonna answer that! Besides I doubt that you would ever disappear!" he spat out the seeds at Momo._

_She quickly moved her arm up to her face to block it. "Cut that out! Lil' Shiro!"_

_•_

Hitsugaya quickly sat up from his bed. "Why...did I have that dream...?"

Silently, he got out of bed and looked at his reflection in the mirror. _It's been years now, she's never coming back...I waited and still, she hasn't come back. Momo... where are you?_

_•_

For the whole morning he couldn't stop thinking about that dream. He couldn't even concentrate on walking down the stairs or making his breakfast. He hasn't had a dream about his childhood friend in years. Why would it come back to him now?

The white haired boy headed out the front door to walk to school, as usual. On the way out, something new caught his eye on this boring street. The huge vehicles drove by, noisily, leaving a trail of dust behind.

_Moving Trucks?_ He watched the trucks go by. _The direction they're going to is where-!_

He quickly ran with great agility towards the house he had been taking care of for a long time. Even though no one lives there anymore, he still bothers to keep it clean, just in case.

_Someone else is going to live in Momo's house? No one has moved there ever since she left! What's going on? _He arrived in front of the Hinamori resident and gazed around the place.

Still the same as always, except for the people moving some new furniture into the house.

"Excuse me, but who's moving here?" Toshiro asked a random guy who was giving out orders.

"Sorry, I can't give out customer information."

"But-"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" the man asked, cutting him off.

_Crap! I completely forgot about school! _"Never mind." Toshiro ran as fast as the wind to get to school on time.

•

Toshiro sat down in his chair just as the school bell rang. _Phew...I just made it..._

He could hear hasty whispers and quiet voices talking.

"Did you hear about the new transfer student?" one asked.

"Really? We're going to have a new student in our class? Cool!" the other replied.

"Think they'll be a girl or a boy?"

"Girl, probably."

"Nah, it'll be a boy for sure." Another said, confidently.

"Who cares? As long as they're good-looking, I don't mind."

_A new transfer student? Could that person be the one who's moving into Momo's house? _He wondered.

"Now, now. Everybody take your seats and quiet down." The teacher walked into the classroom.

"Hai, Ukitake Sensei."

"As you've all heard about, we have a new student in our class today."

Hitsugaya eyed the empty desk diagonally in front of him on the right.

"You may enter now." The long haired teacher nodded slightly towards the door.

Steps could be heard, students held their breaths, wondering if the student was male or female. Hitsugaya stopped looking out the window on his left and observed the entrance to the classroom.

_Step...Step..._

Toshiro's eyes widened, in shock. _It can't be...!_

The slim girl with brown eyes and dark hair, smiled warmly at the class.

"My name is Momo Hinamori."

To Be Continued...

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><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Hai- Yes

Sensei- Teacher

•

Thanks for reading up to this point! Did you enjoy it? I hope you did! :D

Feedback is much appreciated and again, if there were any errors then please tell me!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

_Don't forget to review!_


	2. The New Transfer Student

Ugh, my internet was being a pain so I couldn't update this until now...trust me, I would've updated this thing a week ago if my internet didn't stuff up on me. -_- Anyways!

Thanks for all the reviews and favs! :D

Enjoy the next chapter!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The New Transfer Student<strong>

_Previously:_

_Step...Step..._

_Toshiro's eyes widened, in shock. It can't be...!_

_The slim girl with brown eyes and dark hair, smiled warmly at the class._

"_My name is Momo Hinamori."_

"It's nice to meet you all!" she beamed.

"Hinamori-San, please take a seat next to Kira-Kun." Ukitake nodded at Izuru's direction.

Hitsugaya watched Momo walk calmly to the empty chair diagonally in front of him, on the right.

"I'm Izuru Kira. Pleasure to meet you." greeted the blonde boy.

"Nice to meet you too!"

Class started and Toshiro couldn't help but keep staring at Momo.

_~Toshiro's POV~_

_Why is she back? Why only now? It can't be a coincidence that she's in the same class with me...can it?_

_~Momo's POV~_

_Izuru seems like a nice person, I guess. Well he's not exactly bad...maybe I could be friends with him. And for some strange reason I can't help but feel that someone is watching me._

_~Izuru's POV~_

_Momo looks like a good person. But I wonder why Toshiro Hitsugaya keeps staring at her._

_•_

**At Interval/Break time...**

Tons of people crowded around Momo's desk, wanting to know nearly everything about her. She was surprisingly popular among the boys and girls. In fact, some boys already had crushes on her. Toshiro could hear them saying things like: _'Hinamori-San's smile is like an angel's!' _and stuff like that.

"So, Hinamori-San, where are you from?" a boy asked.

"Hinamori-San lets be friends! Is it alright if I call you Momo-Chan?" asked a group of girls.

"Hinamori-San wanna eat with me?" asked another boy, who liked her.

"You're quite popular aren't you, Hinamori-San?" Izuru chuckled.

"Ah! It appears to be so, Kira-Kun."

"Please, just call me Izuru." He smiled.

"Okay, then. You can call me Momo!" Momo replied, cheerily.

"I think I'll just call you Momo-San."

She continued chatting with all the students, answering their questions, asking more questions and not noticing Toshiro.

"M-Momo..." her name escaped from Hitsugaya's lips.

She turned to see who it was that called out to her, especially since they didn't call her surname or add any suffix at the end. Momo was very surprised to see who it was.

"Lil' Shiro!" she raised from her chair.

Everyone was shocked that they both knew each other, precisely because it _WAS Toshiro Hitsugaya_, the guy who always kept a scowl on his face.

"NANI? YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER?"

"How? When? Where?"

"Oh? Didn't I tell you? I must've forgotten!" Momo replied.

"..." Toshiro stayed silent. Not many people in this class liked him.

"We're childhood friends!" Hinamori explained, happily.

"Friends?" The whole class said in unison. They couldn't believe their ears. And they were all thinking the same thing: _THIS GUY HAS FRIENDS?_

_•_

Interval ended and everyone started to return to their seats.

"Lil' Shiro we'll talk more at lunch!"

"Tch. I keep telling you to stop calling me that ridiculous name!" _Especially since I'm in high school now! _He thought.

Momo laughed at his reaction. "Still the same as always." And she went back to her seat.

•

"...Tsugaya-Kun!"

"Hn...?" _Who's calling my name?_ Wondered Toshiro.

"Hitsugaya-Kun! Hitsugaya-Kun, wake up!" Yelled Jushiro Ukitake.

Toshiro snapped his eyes open. "Huh?" _...Did I fall asleep?_

The kind-hearted teacher sighed. "See me after class..."

"Fine..." he replied, sleepily.

"Now answer the next question."

"...You can't be serious." _I was just sleeping, how am I supposed to know the answer?_

The whole class stayed silent. "Hitsugaya-Kun...that's not exactly the correct answer." Ukitake was still smiling at him, though his eyebrow was slightly twitching.

Toshiro sighed. _What should I do? _He asked himself.

His turquoise eyes caught on something new on his desk. _What's this?_ _A piece of paper?_

Hitsugaya decided to examine it. The paper read:

'_Lil' Shiro, here are the answers from the textbook! I knew that you would fall asleep during class, so I copied these out for you.'_

And it showed all the answers on that paper in Momo's handwriting. He made sure to cover it up; he didn't want the teacher to find out.

"Uh...Sensei, what number is the question?"

"Number 47."

Toshiro snuck a quick peek at the paper. "The answer is... 168."

"Correct. By the way, even if you did answer the question right, you still have to see me at the start of lunch." The long haired teacher gave a small smile at Toshiro before walking back to the writing board.

Hitsugaya gave a thankful look at Momo; she gave him a small 'thumbs up' and a 'You're welcome' smile.

•

The school bell rang, signalling lunchtime.

Toshiro was waiting outside the teacher's office door. He sighed and knocked, lazily.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-Kun please come in." replied Jushiro. He walked into the room and stood in front of the teacher.

"Tell me, is there something troubling you that makes you feel the need to sleep in my class?" the teacher said with concern on his face.

"No, not really." He said, flatly.

"Okay...I just want to know why you fell asleep. I know that a lot of students think class is boring but at least you actually learn something."

"Honestly, Sensei? I wasn't concentrating. So I got bored, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep." Answered Toshiro, bluntly.

"...Anything else?"

"I don't think so."

Ukitake sighed. "Well, if that's it...then you may go."

"Sensei, can I ask you a question?"

"Hm? Yes, what is it?" Ukitake blinked a few times, he wasn't really expecting a question from him.

"It seemed as if you were expecting something else than a 'I wasn't concentrating' answer. And I think I'm dead right. My question is: What type of answer were you expecting from me?"

Ukitake looked at him in the eye. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know myself. I was kind of expecting something like...a personal answer? I guess."

"Oh. Well, I'll be leaving now." And with that being said, Toshiro walked out of the room, feeling like he would fall asleep any moment.

When he reached the classroom, Hinamori was waiting outside in the corridor for him.

"Welcome back, Lil' Shiro!"

"Thanks and what's with all the people peeking at us through the doorway?" he glared at some students watching them. When they noticed that he was looking right at them, they immediately ran back into the classroom, pretending they didn't see anything.

Momo laughed a bit. "Maybe they want to know what our relationship is between the two of us."

"Pfft, I thought you already told them that we were childhood friends."

"Maybe they were confirming things?"

"Hn. Whatever, I don't really care."

"Shall we eat lunch together, Lil' Shiro?"

"Sure." They started heading towards the rooftop.

Whispers started to conjure up in the classroom as soon as they left.

"Did you hear that? Hinamori-San called the 'Cold' Hitsugaya 'Lil' Shiro'!"

"They almost sound like lovers!" squealed a girl.

"NOOO! DOES THAT MEAN MY BEAUTIFUL MOMO IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE?" cried a fan boy.

"YOUR beautiful Momo? She's not yours!"

"That's not the point! Hinamori-San gave that guy a nickname! And we all know how cruel that guy is! How can a Cold as Ice Demon like him, be friends with a Warm-Hearted Princess like her?"

It hit all the students like a rock. "Could he be forcing her to be his friend?"

•

A refreshing breeze blew by. Momo and Toshiro were sitting on a bench next to each other, on the rooftop of the school. Momo opened up the pale pink bento box, While Toshiro unwrapped his onigiri.

"Itadakimasu!" they both said in unison and began eating.

"Lil' Shiro, is that all you have? Just a rice ball for lunch?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you want some of my bento?" offered Hinamori.

"W-What?" stuttered Hitsugaya.

She smiled at him. "Do you want to share my bento with me? It'd be exactly like the old times!"

"...No thanks."

"What? Why not?" questioned Momo.

Toshiro finished the last bits of his onigiri and looked at Momo. "I'm not a little kid anymore, so I don't need to be fed."

"Really? Oh! I just realised that you've grown taller!" she patted his head. "Congratulations Lil' Shiro!"

"Tch! Of course I've grown taller!"

Momo continued eating her bento and Toshiro watched her, he looked down at her bento and examined her lunchbox.

_Rice, salmon, vegetables, meat and...Is that? _He didn't realise that he was staring.

Momo chuckled at his reaction. "Want some now, Lil' Shiro? It's one of your favourites...homemade omelette with grated daikon!"

_...Damn, Momo's omelettes always taste good...especially with oroshi..._

"M-Maybe just a little..." he blushed, slightly.

After sharing the bento, Hitsugaya couldn't help but ask the question that's been bugging him for so long.

"Momo...why did you leave?"

"Hm? What are you talking about, Lil' Shiro?"

"All those years ago...where did you go? And why didn't you come back until now?"

**Will Momo reveal the truth behind her disappearance or will she never tell?**

To Be Continued...

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Sensei- Teacher

Nani- What

Bento- A Traditional Japanese Lunchbox

Onigiri- Rice Ball, a common snack in Japan. Normally, it's just rice shaped in a triangle with some fillings in it.

Itadakimasu- You say this before you eat and its meaning is something like 'Thanks for the Food'

Oroshi- Grated Daikon, it's kind of like a seasoning to go with food. One of Hitsugaya's favourites!

* * *

><p>Hey there its Mikoto here! I'm actually really glad and quite surprised that people are actually reading this FanFic! And I wasn't expecting to have favs and reviews so fast as well o.o XD<p>

Well I guess I'm thankful to you guys so Thank You!

Maybe I made this chapter a tad too long... oh well! :3

By the way, I'm also working on another HitsuHina Fan Fiction at the moment, though it's still not complete. Might upload it later... well anyways once I do upload it, please feel free to check it out when you can! :D

Random question: How many of you guys like Sosuke Aizen? Tell me in your reviews! ^_^

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

_Don't forget to review!_


	3. The Disappearance

Heya! How's life? Sorry for the delay…but be excited! This chapter is super awesome! (Like my name! Get it? :D) I'm joking, it's actually not SUPER awesome…if it's not as good as my other chapters then sorry again! ^-^;

[By the way…it's quite a long chapter- to make up for the wait :) ]

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Disappearance<strong>

_Previously:_

_After sharing the bento, Hitsugaya couldn't help but ask the question that's been bugging him for so long._

"_Momo...why did you leave?"_

"_Hm? What are you talking about, Lil' Shiro?"_

"_All those years ago...where did you go? And why didn't you come back until now?"_

"…" Hinamori stayed silent. She didn't know how to respond to that. Momo wanted to tell him so badly because she abandoned him, making her feel guilty, plus, he deserved to know what happened. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't tell him the truth because she simply didn't want to recall her past memories. Hinamori froze. If she didn't want to tell him, then what was she supposed to say to him? Momo couldn't bare to lie to Toshiro, she had already hurt him too much. _What do I do…?_

"Momo?" Hitsugaya stood up and walked in front of her view.

_I should just tell him but…_

The young boy with the wild hair and turquoise eyes waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Hinamori?"

_I really shouldn't be so selfish…_

"BEDWETTER MOMO!"

Momo flinched and blinked several times.

"Geez, you still daydream like you used to." muttered Toshiro.

_I haven't heard that nickname in years! _"…Ne, Toshiro?" Momo looked up at him. _This is a perfect chance to avoid telling him! _

"What is it?" he glanced at his childhood friend.

"You just called me 'Bed wetter Momo' even though I'm in High School now, right?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Lil' Shiro! I'm in High School. HIGH SCHOOL! And you're calling me an embarrassing nickname from childhood!" she stood up and faced him.

"I could say the same thing. Every corner I turn, I hear you shouting 'Lil' Shiro' everywhere! I'm in High School too, you know!"

"But I have a right to call you that!"

"What 'Right'?" he glared at her.

"Well…I'm older then you by a couple months and you're shor-"

He cringed at the word she was about to say. _Short._

"I AM NOT SHORT!"

Momo just remembered that Toshiro had grown taller and wasn't as short as the last time she saw him. _Hold on a second…he may have grown taller, but he still might be shorter than me! _She raised her hand above Hitsugaya's head to see how tall he was. She gasped at the 'Shocking' result. "Lil' Shiro! I can't believe it!"

"Is it just me, or are we talking about my height a lot more these days?" he muttered, slightly annoyed.

"You're one centimetre taller than me!" _I guess that takes away one of my 'Rights'…_

"It appears to be so."

"Wow, Lil' Shiro!" she smiled at him and started to play with his strangely spiky hair. "I'm going to have to call you 'Big Shiro' now!"

"Agh! Momo cut it out! I keep telling you, I'm not a kid anymore! And 'Big Shiro' sounds lame!" complained Toshiro.

"Then, I'll just stick with 'Lil' Shiro', ok?" she started to laugh.

"It's just Toshiro!"

The school bell rang, signalling that lunchtime was over.

"Well, I'll race you back to class, Lil' Shiro!" she smiled and quickly turned to run.

"…It's Toshiro and I'm not racing." He started to walk back to class.

_Momo ran into the classroom and shut the sliding door behind her. Safe…but I can't avoid that question forever_. –she thought.

Toshiro walked down the hallway casually. _She completely dodged the question. I know that it's not really any of my business and she probably doesn't want to talk about it, but I can't help but be curious. How can I get this information out of her?_

He opened the classroom door, calmly and went to his seat next to the window. His head leaned on his hand and his mind was focused on the clouds outside the boundaries of the window, but his eyes were glued to Hinamori's back. The students heard their Sensei walk in and class begun.

•

**During Class…**

_I can't focus on my work at all! Nearly every single thing I was thinking about was written on my study book because I didn't realise that I was unconsciously writing it down! Then, the teacher came by and thought I was writing a poem! _The girl who was named after a peach rubbed her temples. She quickly erased the words on her book and stared down at the empty blank page. _What should I do? Since my house is near Toshiro's house, there's no doubt that he'll walk home with me. If he does…I just know he'll ask me the same question again! I need more time to think…I got it!_

Momo glanced at the Teacher. She rose from her chair and put her hand up. "Ukitake-Sensei."

_What is Momo doing?_ -wondered Hitsugaya.

Ukitake turned around and looked at the young teenager. "Yes, Hinamori-San?"

"I'm not feeling so well…can I head to the Infirmary?" asked Momo, innocently.

Ukitake put his hand to his chin and thought for a few moments. "Since today is your first day, I'll let you slide out of the afternoon session, this time. You may go."

"Hai, arigato." Momo walked out of the classroom, towards the Medical Room.

Momo knocked on the door lightly. "You may come in." replied a gentle female voice. Momo stepped into the room and saw two older women. One had long silky black hair with dark grey eyes. She had a kind expression on her face and she wore a white coat. The other woman had short silver hair and wore a pale blue uniform.

"Um…is this the Infirmary?" Hinamori stepped outside to check the sign. _Definitely the right room…_

"Ah, welcome. Yes, you're in the correct place." smiled the mature woman with black hair.

The girl in the pale blue uniform introduced herself. "You must be the new transfer student everyone's talking about! I'm Isane, the school nurse."

"I see…nice to meet you." replied Momo, a bit nervous.

"I'm the school doctor. My name is Retsu Unohana, pleasure to meet you." She smiled yet again.

"Pleasure to meet you, too!"

"Well, since you're here…what can we do for you?"

"Um…I just came to lie down for a while; I'm not feeling too good." Momo lied, trying to sound like an unwell person. _Uh-oh…I don't think they're going to buy my lie…_

Unohana paused for a few seconds, examining Momo. "What was your name again?"

Momo gulped. "Momo Hinamori."

Unohana looked at her with dark kind eyes. "Of course you can lie down. Here." She pulled open some curtains to reveal a comfy bed, it was coloured a creamy white.

Hinamori lied down and Unohana tucked her in. "Have a good rest."

Hinamori nodded and Unohana turned to face Isane.

"Isane, let's go get those new herbs I was talking about before."

"Oh, yes ma'am!" they started to head out the door. "Hope you feel better soon!" Isane said, while walking out.

Unohana walked out but then popped her head through the doorway. "By the way, Welcome to Shino High School, Hinamori-San." Then, Unohana shut the sliding door.

Momo sighed. "Phew…" After she heard their footsteps fade away, she relaxed and started to think of what her answers would be to 'Why did you leave? Where did you go? And why didn't you come back until now?'

Unohana and Isane walked down the school corridor.

"Um…Miss Unohana?" started Isane.

"Yes?" Unohana smiled at her, warmly.

"_What_ new herbs? We were talking about tea and coffee before…"

"I just said that to give us a small excuse to leave."

"?" Isane looked at her mentor, confused.

"It was obvious that Hinamori-San wasn't actually ill. She just needed some time alone."

"Oh…I see."

"Ah, Isane. The next thing you need to learn is…"

"Hm?"

Unohana waved her index finger at Isane. "How to find out if people are faking an illness or not, understand?"

"Hai, Miss Unohana."

•

**Later, the school bell rang. School was over for the day.**

Hitsugaya grabbed his ebony black bag and out it over his shoulder. _I guess I'll go see how Momo is doing. Might as well walk home with her, since we both live in the same area._ He walked down the stairs, remembering some things. Voices started to echo in his head.

'_Lil' Shiro!'_

'_Would you miss me if I disappeared?'_

'_Momo...why did you leave?'_

'_All those years ago...where did you go? And why didn't you come back until now?'_

'_My name is Momo Hinamori; it's nice to meet you all!'_

'_M-Momo…'_

'_Geez, you still daydream like you used to!'_

'_Momo…where are you?'_

Hitsugaya went silent. He walked over to the window and stared at the shining sun outside.

**-Flashback-**

The morning mist was starting to clear and the sun was high in the blue skies. Birds chirped and sang peaceful melodies to one another, dogs chased stray cats, mothers went grocery shopping on this lovely fine weekend and little, young Toshiro Hitsugaya slept in until Ten o'clock. Hitsugaya stretched and yawned after having a good night's sleep. He lazily walked to the bathroom and brushed his teeth.

"Hm…today I'll go buy some peaches and head over to Momo's place."

After Hitsugaya had finished his morning things, he went to the grocery fruit market and brought some fresh pink-ish orange peaches. Little Toshiro calmly walked down the street and some other kids just stared at him. He could hear their small voices whispering behind his back. "Why does he have white hair?" whispered one.

"I don't know, probably because he's bad luck. Remember? His Grandma died a couple of months ago." said another in a hushed voice.

"You might be right about that! Last year, his only friend's parents passed away in an accident." agreed a small boy.

"Hey, loser!" a bigger boy called after Toshiro.

The boy with the white as snow hair continued to walk and ignore the older kid. This made the older one angry; he stood in front of Hitsugaya to block his path. He had other kid's surround Hitsugaya so he couldn't go anywhere.

"I'm talking to you!" the older boy glared down at the small kid. Toshiro returned a sharp icy glare back.

"Who does he think he is? Looking at Ryuto like that! He's got some nerve!" muttered one of the children surrounding young Toshiro.

"What?" replied Toshiro, as he glared at Ryuto, his eyes unwavering.

Ryuto smirked. "Buying something for your girlfriend?"

"None of your business, moron."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" snapped Ryuto, furiously.

"I don't have to repeat myself to the likes of you." He said, flatly.

"YOU-! AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE A CRY BABY GIRL FRIEND!"

"Pfft, at least I have one…unlike you." He lied.

"Grr! You twerp! Guys, do it!" yelled Ryuto.

All the other kids started to throw objects at the lone boy and Hitsugaya stood there, letting himself get hit.

"Haha! I have the upper hand here!" laughed Ryuto, evilly.

Rocks, stones, dirt, twigs, balls, toys, scissors and other objects flew by Hitsugaya. A soccer ball was thrown at him and he caught it with his free hand. All the kids stopped throwing items and went silent. "Why'd you all stop throwing?" questioned the boy who was so up himself.

"We…we ran out of things to, um, throw." replied another big child.

"WHAT?" Ryuto glanced at the quiet Toshiro. He had some bruises and a small cut on his left arm that was holding the bag of peaches.

"Is that the best you can do?" Hitsugaya looked up at all of them.

"Uh-oh…" one of the bigger kids started to tremble.

"WAH! I WANT MY MUMMY! HE'S SCARY!" cried another.

"S-So? What are you gonna do?" asked Ryuto, trying to act tough.

"…This." replied Toshiro, quietly. He put the soccer ball down in front of his feet and brought his right foot back behind him. Without breaking a sweat, he kicked the ball with a lot of strength and the ball went shooting towards Ryuto. The black-and-white ball smashed into the side of his head, hard. Ryuto crashed into the other kid, who bumped into the next and the next. They all went down like dominoes.

"Ugh…" groaned Ryuto. All of them were lying on the ground in pain.

Toshiro continued walking onwards. "Hmph. Not even a challenge."

When he finally reached Momo's house, it was noon. He knocked once. No reply. He rang the doorbell and waited. Nothing. He knocked countless times. "Momo? Momo? You alive?" No answer. He opened the door. _It's unlocked… _He walked in and examined the first floor. _Everything is the same as always._ He tiptoed into the kitchen and checked the fridge and cupboards. _Some leftovers and snacks… _He turned on the tap in the sink but no water came out. _Strange… _He walked into the storage room. _Dusty and dark…I'm guessing she doesn't clean this room. _Toshiro found the light switch and flicked it on. The room still remained dark. _No electricity as well, huh? _Hitsugaya walked up the stairs and looked around. Her parent's room was empty because no one sleeps there anymore; her bathroom had nothing but a sink, a toilet and a bath tub with a shower inserted in it. _Not even a toothbrush…? _Soundlessly, he paced down the corridor and paused before her bedroom door. The door was plain white and she had a sign shaped as a peach. In pink letters, it read 'MOMO'.

Toshiro glanced down at the plastic bag of peaches and smiled a bit. Slowly, he put his hand on the doorknob and turned. He was expecting Hinamori to be inside, sitting on her bed and brushing her dark chocolate hair. "Momo? If you're in there, I'm coming in." he opened the door and saw that no one was inside. Toshiro ran into the room and gazed around. Her bed sheets were folded back neatly, her closet was empty, he desk had been cleared except for a small pale blue envelope. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was starting to set.

_If Momo's out, she should be home soon…_ He picked up the envelope and turned it around. There was a tiny chibi drawing of Hitsugaya and in fine dark blue writing; the envelope read 'Toshiro'. _It's addressed…to me?_

Carefully, he opened the envelope and unfolded the slightly crinkled paper. Hitsugaya stared at the words.

'Toshiro, Thank you for everything. Take care and Goodbye.'

"…What? What does she mean by 'Goodbye'?" Realization hit him like a brick. She had only asked him yesterday, _'Would you miss me if I disappeared?' _He dropped the bag of peaches and dashed out of Hinamori's room. Hastily, he ran down the stairs and burst out the front door. Hitsugaya ran everywhere he could think of as fast as his legs would go. _Every room was empty because she packed it all away and the only reason why she'd do that is because she's leaving. _He continued to run and gather up all the logic together in his head._ She also turned off the water and electricity supply because she knew that she wasn't going to be back anytime soon. _Toshiro checked the playground area. No Hinamori. _Momo asked me if I would miss her and I said no…she wrote down 'Goodbye' instead of saying it to me herself. She must have been in a rush, plus, she probably didn't want me to get involved…Do I miss her?_

_•_

An hour of running passed and Toshiro was exhausted. _He slowly dragged himself back to Momo's house. I can't believe it…she's actually gone. _He sat down on her soft spongy bed and stared at her hazelnut brown desk. Ten minutes passed and Toshiro picked up the envelope again. He didn't realise before that there was something else inside it. Inside, was the spare key to Hinamori's house. _Momo must have taken the other key…since she left me the spare key; I'm guessing she won't be coming back until…a very long time. _A sad smile formed on his lips. "That means I'll be alone again…maybe I was always meant to be alone…"

•

He picked up the peaches, locked the front door and walked back to his place with his head hung low. He dumped the peaches on the table and crawled up the stairs lazily. Weakly, he opened the door to his room and collapsed on his bed. For hours he stared up at the ceiling. _I don't know why but…my chest…is hurting. What's with this sudden pain?_

**-End Of Flashback-**

Teenage Hitsugaya smiled to himself. _Heh…I remember the day after her disappearance. I decided to wait for her, pfft, how ridiculous. Then, after about Three years, I finally realized that she wasn't coming back. And I tried to forget about Momo, but she always stayed at the back of my mind. Years later, she suddenly comes back…_

He heard a door slide open, which interrupted his thoughts. Toshiro swiftly turned around. Hinamori was standing in the doorway. _I just realized that I was standing in front of the Medical Room…_

"Lil' Shiro? What are you doing here?" asked Momo, in her usual soft tone.

"…I came to pick you up. How are you feeling? Any better?" Toshiro asked with concern on his face.

"Ah, souka. I'm fine, no need to worry!" she gave a reassuring smile at him.

Hitsugaya nodded, relieved. "Well…do you, uh…want to walk home together?"

_Just act normal…or at least try to… _-thought Momo. "Hai! It'll be just like the old times!" replied Hinamori, cheerfully.

Hinamori's reply made Hitsugaya actually smile for one. "Yeah…"

Behind the corner were two unknown people watching both of them. Little did Hitsugaya and Hinamori know of what troubles they could stir up…

"Heh, this is perfect." smirked one of the two.

"They wouldn't even know who did it…they wouldn't even see it coming."

**To Be Continued…**

**-End Of Chapter-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Bento- Japanese Lunch Box

Ne- Used to catch someone's attention or 'Right'

Sensei- Teacher

Hai- Yes

Arigato- Thank You

Souka- I see (Or something along those words)

•

O.O I think…this is the longest chapter I have ever written. Well, I hope that your eyes don't hurt from all those words! (Once, I read too much manga and everywhere I looked, I could see words! On the ceiling, on the floor, on my sister, on the toilet….Er-hem, too much detail.)

Notice how I wrote 'Shino High School' instead of 'Shino Academy'? (Soul Reaper Academy) :D Oh and don't you think Toshiro is quite smart for his age? Coz I definitely think he is! ^-^

Ahaha ^^; , well, thanks for reading!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	4. Stirring Up Trouble

Hey it's been awhile! Sorry about not updating and all…kind of busy these days ^^; Well, Enjoy!

**NOTE: UPDATES WILL TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF STUDIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!**

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Stirring Up Trouble<strong>

_Previously:_

_I can't avoid that question forever…_

_Hitsugaya nodded, relieved. "Well…do you; uh…want to walk home together?"_

_Just act normal…or at least try to… -thought Momo. "Hai! It'll be just like the old times!" replied Hinamori, cheerfully._

"_Heh, this is perfect." smirked one of the two._

"_They wouldn't even know who did it…they wouldn't even see it coming."_

•

Momo Hinamori and Toshiro Hitsugaya walked down the straight path before them in silence. The skies were a peachy color and the clouds were a light pink, like sweet candy floss. (Cotton Candy) Momo's mind was whirling with thoughts of various things and Toshiro kept staring at the pavement, wondering when he should try asking her that same question again.

~Toshiro's POV~

_What is she thinking about? What's going through that mind of hers? I have a mountain of things to ask her…but, what if she tries to avoid it again? What if she doesn't reply back? Or am I just being too soft on her? _

_Should I talk to her? This silence is slowly killing me_. He glanced at her.

…_Momo, why won't you tell me anything?_

~End of Toshiro's POV~

~Momo's POV~

_Toshiro…what are you expecting from me? Are you expecting me to just, tell you everything, and then, everything would be normal again? Or…are you expecting me to lock myself in my room, and never talk about my past again?_ She gave him a small worried look and bit her lip. _I REALLY want to tell you…I want to tell you but…actually, what is stopping me? No one made me swear not to tell anyone…oh. I know why, it's because I want to tell him, but deep inside me, I don't want to tell him about the past. Bringing it up again…would probably make me break down._

_Toshiro…Gomenesai._

~End of Momo's POV~

They both looked up at each other at the same time.

"I-"

"Listen-"

They both immediately closed their mouths.

"You first." said Toshiro.

"No, really, you go first." replied Momo.

"Ladies first, Momo." His eyes narrowed.

"Youngest always gets there say before oldest." whispered Momo.

Hitsugaya sighed. "I was just going to ask how your day was today."

…_Was that really it?_ "Oh, um…It was fine. Well, for my first day that is."

Hitsugaya kept his gaze ahead of him. "Oh."

"Can I ask you something?" she looked at him, curiously.

"Seeing as how you just did, yes."

"What were you thinking about before? Outside the infirmary?"

He paused. "I was…"

"?" she waited patiently.

"I was thinking of what I should have for dinner tonight." He replied, flatly.

Hinamori was disappointed at his answer. "Really?" _It seemed like he was deep in thought, though…_

"Yes, really. What about you?"

"E-Eh?"

"What were _you_ thinking of? Inside the infirmary?" he shot the question back.

"Ano…Uh…ee to... I was…a-also thinking about what I should have for dinner!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And that's it! Ahaha, isn't that strange? We were both thinking about the same thing!" she scratched her head.

"Momo, just face it. You're not a very good liar."

Hinamori's head hung low. _He's so right… _"A-Anyways, let's change the subject; this topic of conversation isn't exactly interesting."

_She really doesn't want to talk about her thoughts…why is she being so secretive with me?_ "Okay…" he replied.

They strolled pass countless houses and it seemed as if they had been walking forever.

Instead of changing the subject, they went all quiet again.

_I can't help but get the feeling that someone is watching me…_ Momo gazed around. Hitsugaya was staring right at her. "Lil' Shiro?"

"…" he continued to stare intently at the innocent girl. _I'll just have to…force it out of her._

"Um…" she fidgeted a bit.

He walked over to her, fast. Hinamori quickly took a few steps back and she could feel her back lightly hit the cool wall behind her. Her eyes widened as he slammed his fist at the wall above her head. His glare was serious. Dead serious. Hinamori had never seen him look at her like this.

"Hinamori." He muttered her name under his breath. It wasn't 'Momo' or 'Bed wetter Momo', it was just 'Hinamori'.

Momo shivered at his icy way of saying her name. He sounded so cold, so _threatening_.

"I _will_ ask you these questions…and you _will_ answer them." His gaze never faltered, his voice had no hint of fear, this was a different Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Momo stood there, paralyzed. She didn't know what to do or say.

"…Why did you leave, where did you go, what did you do and why come back, why only now?" his deep turquoise eyes pierced into her, making her feel…vulnerable.

"I-I-I…"

His eyes narrowed.

She gulped. "Toshiro, I…"

They both suddenly heard a 'click' and for a moment, they saw a blinding flash of white light.

"Nani?" Hinamori looked around.

Hitsugaya turned his head sharply. He managed to spot someone speed around the corner.

"Shimatta!" He immediately sprinted after the mysterious person.

The mysterious person was a fast runner; they dashed through a small alleyway, jumped over a few fences and ran around another corner.

"Not so fast!" Hitsugaya trailed after him. His eyes focused on the running figure before him. _That uniform! It's the same as mine…this guy; he's not planning on doing what I think he's going to do, is he?_

Hitsugaya ran like the wind after the unknown being. He was so close to the guy, he reached out and nearly grabbed his collar, but then, he saw the man in front of him, toss something. The item gleamed in the sunlight. Another person appeared out of nowhere and caught the thing that was thrown. Hitsugaya realized that it was a camera. But, he decided to ignore that for now, and find out who the guy in front of him was. Just as he was about to see the student's face, they elbowed him in the jaw, causing Hitsugaya to stagger back, while the student ran off.

"Kusou!" Hitsugaya cursed and rubbed his jaw. _That guy…is dead._

The student and the other student who caught the camera had gotten away from Hitsugaya successfully. They laughed evilly together.

"That was a close one, he almost had me." smirked the one who was running.

"Ha, you were just lucky that I was there, otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to get that camera out of his reach." replied the other.

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you don't lose that camera. Otherwise it would ruin the plan."

"I don't need you to remind me that."

"Whatever."

•

"Lil' Shiro!" Momo came running after him. Toshiro was leaning on his knees, catching his breath. "Daijobu desu ka?"

"Yeah…I'm fine. But they got away." He stood up straight.

"Eh? What's so bad about that? All they did was take a picture." She tilted her head.

"…Don't you get it?"

"Get what, Lil' Shiro?"

"You mean you didn't realize?"

"Ee to…?"

He turned to face her. "Haven't you realized that I had no friends in school? Until you came that is, everyone was surprised."

He recalled back in the classroom. _"Friends?" The whole class said in unison. They couldn't believe their ears. And they were all thinking the same thing: THIS GUY HAS FRIENDS?_

"_Did you hear that? Hinamori-San called the 'Cold' Hitsugaya 'Lil' Shiro'!"_

"_That's not the point! Hinamori-San gave that guy a nickname! And we all know how cruel that guy is! How can a Cold as Ice Demon like him, be friends with a Warm-Hearted Princess like her?"_

_It hit all the students like a rock. "Could he be forcing her to be his friend?"_

"They all like to make trouble for me, just because of my hairstyle and because of my facial expression. Even though they are both normal _and_ natural. Geez, that's why my so-called nickname is the 'Ice Demon'."

"Y-You mean you're being bullied? Just like when we were little?" she questioned innocently.

"Hai."

Hinamori's hands were clenched into a fist and her body was slightly shaking. Her fringe covered her eyes, so Hitsugaya couldn't see her facial expression very well.

"Momo? Is something wro-"

Hinamori stood up straight all of a sudden, with her right hand pointing up to the sky. "I've decided! From this day on, I'm going to be standing up for you, I'll show those cruel people that you're actually just a sweet little boy with strange hair!" she shouted with determination in her voice.

"…Strange hair?" he glared at her.

Momo paused. "Ahahaha…" she scratched her head. "I mean-unique hair…But anyways, as long as I'm there, they won't dare to say mean things to you Lil' Shiro! After all, that's what big sisters are for, right?"

"Hmm…if big sisters are always meant to be there for the younger ones…then, again I ask, where were you all these years?" he tilted his head and folded his arms.

"Uh…" she sweat dropped.

She twirled around and ran. "Bye Lil' Shiro, catch you tomorrow!"

He sprinted after her. "You're not going to get away from me so easily, it's a simple question and all you need to do is answer it!"

"Maybe another time Lil' Shiro!" she giggled.

"Urrgh! Stop toying me around!" he ran after her and he was starting to catch up to her.

Momo continued to laugh. It felt like the good times when she and him would run up and down the street, playing tag with each other, or helping with errands.

"Hey, stop!" he called after her.

She smiled, that sweet child-like smile at him. "No way!" she sang.

They continued to run up the hill, they ran past houses, around the corner and decided to take a shortcut through the park. They passed the playground section, kids swooshed down the slide; little children swung on the swings, young ones hit each other with sticks and others would run around playfully.

Toshiro grabbed Momo's wrist and pulled her back.

"!" Momo gasped as she lightly fell on Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya held her firmly close to him, his head rested on her shoulder; she could feel his steady breath on her skin. His lips were so close to her neck.

Hitsugaya panted slightly. "I said…stop…"

Hinamori felt her cheeks flush pink. "L-Lil' Shiro…?"

A weary smile formed on his face. "Finally, I caught you." He huffed quietly.

She gulped. She had never been this close to him before, unless if she counted that time when…

"Now, answer the damn question…Okay? If you do, I won't ever pester you about it again, Momo."

"B-But…" a chill went down her spine as she felt his fresh breath on her neck.

"…"

Then, they both heard a child's voice. "Mummy, why is that boy with the funny white hair trying to kidnap that nice-looking girl?"

"Ssh, don't say that so loud Kazuki, it's very rude." scolded the mother.

"But Mummy, look!" pointed the boy.

Hitsugaya froze. _That kid, is talking about us…right? Curses!_ He immediately released his childhood friend. "H-Hinamori, let's go." He grabbed her hand and led her back to the main street.

Hinamori blushed slightly. "H-Hai…"

•

Hitsugaya didn't realize that he was still holding Hinamori's hand. She followed him, as he dragged her along. They stopped in front of Hinamori's house. "L-Lil' Shiro, you can l-let go of my hand now…"

"Huh?" he glanced down at their hands. He blushed, turned his head away and snatched his hand away. "S-Sorry about that."

She delivered a reassuring smile at him. "No worries, I didn't mind that much, besides we used to do that when we were little a lot!"

He blushed more. "N-No we didn't! What are you going on about?"

She laughed sweetly. "Don't worry; I'll keep it a secret between us."

"A secret? What type of secret is that?"

"Oh? Lil' Shiro, are you telling me to tell everyone in the school?" she smirked at him.

He shuddered. "N-Never mind!"

"Heheh, I'm just teasing!"

"Geez…"

She waved him goodbye and closed the door behind her.

He walked back to his place calmly, locked the front door and started to cook some plain dinner. His mind was focused on other things. _Why…why does she refuse to answer? Could it really be that bad?_ He sighed. _And I failed to force it out of her as well. Tch, if that stupid idiot with the camera hadn't interrupted…I would have had the answers! I was close, Kusou!_

"…Crap. I forgot that I was cooking."

The so called curry rice was now; black, literally black and smoking like a chicken on fire. He groaned. "So much for eating something edible tonight."

•

Hinamori sighed. "Today, I successfully dodged the question. But, what about tomorrow…?" she stared off into the distance until she remembered that she had to finish unpacking. She found a picture frame of her and Toshiro when they were younger. It was Hitsugaya's birthday, 20th of December. Momo remembered back then.

_C'mon Lil' Shiro, just smile for this one picture! –pleaded Momo._

_Hmph, no way. Why should I smile for something as stupid as this? I mean, what are we going to do with a photo frame? –Young Toshiro replied._

_Aw…but…it's your birthday… _

…_I'll take a picture with you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to smile._

_Hondo Ni? Yay! –she smiled._

_The camera clicked just as Momo had patted his head while smiling and Toshiro had his arms folded glaring at the camera._

She had a smile full of sorrow on her face and she held back tears as she hugged the photo frame. "Toshiro…"

•

"Are you finished with the article? It's got to be ready by tomorrow, remember?" reminded the guy.

"I know, I know, don't rush me! I'm nearly finished with it." replied the other.

"Whatever you say." nodded the guy.

"Heh, after all, it was me and my brilliant mind who thought of this plan, so I can take as long as I like." grinned the other guy.

"Sometimes I hate you. Sometimes is now." muttered the guy.

"Haha, say what you want before I beat the living daylights out of you!" said the other confidently.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." smirked the guy.

"After I finish this thing of course." mumbled the other guy.

•

**The following day…**

"Ohayo Gozaimasu Lil' Shiro!" greeted Momo, happily as they walked to school together.

"Ah, Ohayo." He replied, sleepily.

They chatted about the weather and their sleep, and all that little conversational stuff until they reached the school gates. There was a huge crowd of people gathered around the notice/news board. All chatting and gossiping to each other.

"What's going on over there?" asked Hinamori.

"I don't know. But I may have an idea…" replied Hitsugaya.

"?"

Then, some random male student noticed Hitsugaya standing at the gate. He pointed at him and yelled so loud, everyone could hear. "Hey, look, he's here!"

"Huh?" blinked Hitsugaya.

"Eh?" Hinamori titled her head to the side.

The whole crowd turned their attention towards him and all gasped, chatted furiously or glared at him with eyes of hatred. "He's the one who…"

"I can't believe he did that."

"How could he do that to a new student?"

"What a ridiculous guy. You've got to feel sorry for the poor girl."

"What the hell…?" Hitsugaya pushed through the crowd. _What is this about?_

"W-Wait, Lil' Shiro!" Hinamori chased after him.

Hitsugaya reached the notice board. _Those guys from yesterday, did they-?_ His eyes scanned for the 'big' news. But it looked like he didn't need to, since the article took up the whole board. His eyes widened. "This can't be…true."

**To Be Continued…**

**-End of Chapter 4-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Hai- Yes

Gomenesai- I'm (very) sorry

Ano- Um (Or something used to start a conversation/sentence)

Ee to- Um or Uh or something like that

Nani- What

Shimatta- Sh*t or Damn or Crap or…you know, all that stuff (Hope I spelt this right o.o)

Kusou- Damn it, crap etc. (Hope I spelt this right o.o)

Daijobu desu ka- Are you alright/okay?

Hondo Ni- Really?

•

Hey, it's been awhile everyone! ^-^

How's it going? I know, I know, I haven't updated in a long time. I just thought I'd finally update this chap to let you know that I was still alive. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it, some HitsuHina finally coming on I see *_* Well, that's all for now, until next time!

**NOTE: UPDATES WILL TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF STUDIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!**

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	5. New Friends

Yaho! The 5th chapter is now happily delivered to you! Enjoy reading~

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

**NOTE: UPDATES WILL TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF STUDIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: New Friends<strong>

_Previously:_

_Hinamori quickly took a few steps back and she could feel her back lightly hit the cool wall behind her. Her eyes widened as he slammed his fist at the wall above her head. His glare was serious_.

_There was a huge crowd of people gathered around the notice/news board. All chatting and gossiping to each other._

"_What's going on over there?" asked Hinamori._

_Hitsugaya reached the notice board. Those guys from yesterday, did they-? His eyes scanned for the 'big' news. But it looked like he didn't need to, since the article took up the whole board. His eyes widened. "This can't be…true."_

•

"It's not true at all!" exclaimed Momo. But no one was listening, they were all busy bad-mouthing Toshiro.

Hitsugaya was silent. _Why…?_

On the notice board, was a huge article with a picture of Toshiro and Momo together. It was from yesterday's event. _'He walked over to her, fast. Hinamori quickly took a few steps back and she could feel her back lightly hit the cool wall behind her. Her eyes widened as he slammed his fist at the wall above her head. "Hinamori.' His glare was serious.'_

The picture made it look like Toshiro was the bad guy- threatening Momo, whereas Momo looked like the innocent one- the girl who didn't do anything but treat him kindly. Except, she looked frightened of him in this photo.

One girl from their class started to drag Momo away from the boy with snow hair. "Hinamori-San, don't talk to him anymore."

Hinamori recoiled in horror. "Nani? Doushite?"

"Well, you know…he did _that_ to you!" replied another girl.

"I'm telling you it's not true!" Momo shook her head.

"Hinamori-San…"

•

A bald man and a stylish guy stepped in front of Hitsugaya. "Look at you, not so high and mighty now, are you?" sneered the bald one. His head seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

"…" Hitsugaya's fists were clenched, he felt like killing this idiot.

The guy who was checking himself out in a hand mirror smirked. "What are you going to do now, Hitsu-Kun? You can't deny all this, you have no evidence."

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched. Man, did he want to strangle these guys. But he knew that Hinamori was watching, and he didn't want to resort to violence…at least not in front of her. He tried to remain cool. "So it was you…Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa."

They both laughed, mockingly. "Look at him, trying to keep his cool!"

All the other students surrounding started to laugh to. He stood there. As quiet as ever.

Momo clutched her hands against her chest._ I…I have to do something! I can't just leave him there like that! After all these years, he's been through so much of this…and I was never there. Demo…_

_What can I do?_ She glanced at him in the center. Words from yesterday echoed in her head. _'I've decided! From this day on, I'm going to be standing up for you; I'll show those cruel people that you're actually just a sweet little boy with strange hair!'_ Her eyes flashed, and she sharply looked up.

A classmate looked at Momo. "Huh? Hey-Hinamori!"

She ignored them, and marched onwards. Towards her young friend. The crowd began harder to walk through, as more people came to watch the 'Cold Hitsugaya' be humiliated.

"Excuse me." Hinamori said, strongly, without any fear in her voice, as she continued walking fast.

They all quickly backed away as she got closer to Hitsugaya.

"So, what are you going to do? Shave me bald like you? Or perhaps give me a ridiculous hairstyle with feathers like Birdy-Kun over there?" Hitsugaya shot back.

"Grr, this guy-!" Ikkaku got out a Bokken and sliced down at Hitsugaya's feet. Threatening him.

"Oh, I see. You're from the Kendo club." He mumbled, not afraid at all.

Ikkaku grinned evilly. "What? Scared now?" He raised his weapon again.

Hitsugaya smirked, even though in the inside, he was panicking. _I can't exactly dodge…under these circumstances…but I don't exactly want to get hit either…_

Madarame swung down hard, and Yumichika laughed more.

Hitsugaya shut his eyes, hoping that it would all go away. Of course it wouldn't.

"Mou ii yo!" shouted Hinamori, as she quickly ran in front of Toshiro.

Hitsugaya was shocked. "M-Momo…"

"That's enough! He may not have any evidence, but if you say that I was the victim of his threats, then I would know what was going on! And I definitely know that it's nothing like that article!" she yelled.

Everyone blinked. _Whoa, Hinamori-San, the new popular transfer student, is standing up for HIM…?_

Yumichika got annoyed. "Move out of the way, pipsqueak."

Ikkaku was getting furious. "Hey…if I was you, I'd step aside right now!"

Hinamori shook her head. "I won't!"

Hitsugaya gripped Momo's shoulder. "Hinamori, stop it."

"Iie!"

"I can protect myself…" he started.

She cut him off. "I'm not leaving you!"

Ikkaku was now officially pissed off. _These two…they're talking like we're not even here!_ He could hear their voices loud and clear, 'HURRY UP AND GO!' 'I TOLD YOU THAT I'M NOT LEAVING, DIDN'T I?'

"SHUT UP! IF ONE OF YOU DOESN'T LEAVE, THEN I'LL JUST HIT THE BOTH OF YOU!" the strong bald man swung his sword down.

"!" Momo and Toshiro gasped. _Shimatta!_

_**BAM!**_

Hinamori opened her eyes slowly. Someone had stopped Ikkaku from bashing them with the Bokken.

"You- you're…" Hitsugaya trailed off.

There was a tall male, with scarlet red hair and black tattoos on his skin, he was the one who had stepped in front, and grabbed the Bokken.

"Oi, Ikkaku. Stop causing a scene." said the tall man.

Ikkaku blinked. "Renji Abarai…"

"Besides," He tilted his head to Hitsugaya's direction. "This kid here isn't worth your time."

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. _WORTH HIS TIME? HE'S NOT WORTH MY TIME!_

Ikkaku glared at Hitsugaya. "Fine…this time."

Renji folded his arms. "And take that ridiculous article down. It's obviously fake."

"…No." he murmured.

"Yes."

Yumichika replied back this time. "No! It is not going down!"

Renji death-glared both of them. "LIKE HELL IT'S GOING DOWN!"

The two shouted in unison. "WE'RE NOT TAKING IT DOWN!"

"THEN I'LL TAKE IT DOWN FOR YOU! OR DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL THE CAPTAIN OF THE KENDO CLUB, HOW DISGRACEFUL YOU TWO ARE?"

"Ack!" they both shivered at the thought of the strong man with spikey hair and bells attached, coming towards them with his _real_ sword.

"We-we'll be leaving now..." they quickly started to walk away.

"…The article." mumbled Renji under his breath.

They stomped over, tore it down (reluctantly), ripped it to bits and walked off angrily.

Renji turned to face Hinamori and Hitsugaya. "So, tell me why those two were picking on you guys."

Hitsugaya stood in front of Momo. "We'd like to know the same thing."

Renji sighed and shook his head. "My guess is that they wanted to make you look bad."

Hitsugaya folded his arms. "Just to make me look bad? "

Everyone surrounding them started to whisper to each other. "He already looks pretty bad to me…"

Another said, "Yeah, that article just proved it!"

Renji turned and faced the crowd. "Hey, what makes you think that an article made by Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, is true?"

Everyone went silent.

Renji continued, with his strong scary face. "No reply, huh? Then that means that no one believes it, and no one should believe it! Because that article was a fake!"

All the students knew who Renji Abarai was, no one ever wanted to get on his bad side and no one doubted him.

A boy shrugged. "Well, if Renji says it's not true…then I guess that article must be a fake after all."

Another guy laughed. "Ha, I knew it was a phony!"

A girl smiled. "Oh, so that's it."

"Yeah, Renji's always right!"

Everyone all started to agree that the article wasn't true, thanks to Renji. All the students began to leave the area and head to the morning class.

Momo felt relief fill her. "Arigato, Renji-Kun!"

He grinned. "No problem."

Hitsugaya looked up at the tall student. "So, why'd you help me?"

Renji shrugged. "I just did what needed to be done."

"It seems you don't have anything against me…like other students."

"Why would I be against you?"

Hitsugaya scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure you've heard…"

"Those stupid rumors? I've heard but only an idiot would believe those."

Hinamori beamed. _He may look scary….but he's actually a really nice guy!_ "Lil' Shiro, it looks like you've made a new friend!"

They both looked at her and said in unison, "Huh?"

Someone put their hand on Renji's shoulder. "I think that'd be a great idea."

Renji turned to see Izuru Kira smiling. "What?"

Izuru smirked. "After all, you don't have many friends, do you?"

Renji glared at the calm student. But he didn't deny it, it was true.

Toshiro glanced at Momo. "Friends?"

She sighed, "You don't want to have a new friend?"

He closed his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that…"

Momo immediately cheered up. "Great! Let's all be friends!"

Izuru's lips curled upwards. "Sounds good."

Renji put his hands on his hips. "Guess I can't say no now. Oh well, you'll probably need me around anyways! Who else will help you get out of trouble?"

Hitsugaya cringed. "You all treat me as if I need help with everything…I'm not a kid, you know."

Hinamori looked at Renji. "Hey, I can help Lil' Shiro out too!"

Renji leaned in. "Oh really now? What was that before? If I recall, a tiny girl like you stepping in, didn't really help out this poor guy."

Hinamori folded her arms. "Next time, I'll definitely be able to stand up for him!"

Renji sneered. "We'll see about that."

Toshiro sighed. "And no one's even listening to me."

•

Toshiro Hitsugaya was not focusing in class as usual. Usually though, he would be half listening and half not listening, but today, he was just not listening at all.

He tapped his pencil on his book, irritably. _Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa…what's their problem? I haven't done anything to make them hate me…yet. Or are they one of those people who just hate me when they first see me?_ His eyebrows furrowed. _I don't get why I'm thinking so much about this. Renji Abarai, one of the 'scariest' guys in the school, and Izuru Kira 'Mr. Perfect', friends…with me? Really? I don't see it happening. But it's already happened._ His gaze slowly shifted to the petite girl named after a peach_. I'm grateful that she stood up for me, but I don't want to get her involved with my troubles…not to mention, I'm still trying to figure out where she was all those years. Why won't she tell me anything? Why is she hiding it from me? His gaze sharpened. Is it better if I never find out? Too many questions and so little answers._

•

Renji read the text message on his scarlet cellphone. Another text from her…I bet it's another scolding.

**3:30 PM TODAY, 1 MESSAGE RECIEVED**

**Hey Renji, if you're not at my school in 5 minutes, then you're dead!**

His body froze. _FIVE MINUTES? HOW CAN SHE EXPECT ME TO BE AT HER SCHOOL IN FIVE MINTUES, WHEN IT TAKES NEARLY HALF AN HOUR TO GET TO HER SCHOOL?_ He read the last word again. _Dead. _He gulped, and sprinted like his life depended on it, which it did.

Nanao Ise, a teacher at Shino High School, caught a student with blazing red hair run down the corridor of classrooms. "HEY, RENJI ABARAI, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? NO RUNNING IN THE HALLWAY!"

He zoomed around a corner while shouting, "Sorry, Ise-Sensei! I'm in a rush right now!"

"Sheesh, students these days!"

•

Hinamori was packing his books into her bag. Some of her girl classmates crowded around her desk, even though it was time to leave school.

"So, Hinamori-San! Are you going to enter?" asked a girl, excitedly.

"Hm? Enter what?"

Hitsugaya immediately tuned in. _What could this be about?_

"You know! _That_…"

"_That_…?" Momo tilted her head to the side.

Another girl laughed and tapped Hinamori's shoulder. "I guess you haven't heard yet! Each year, the school holds a special girl contest!"

"Special girl contest?"

The two girls nodded. "That's right. Girls in this school, who want to participate, fill in a form and put it into the box. Or other people can nominate the girls. Then, 15-20 girls are selected, and from then on, they do various activities, and get the students of the school to vote."

She blinked. "And what is this for…?"

They both smirked. "To become the 'Top Three Beauties of Shino High School' for a year!"

"Eh?"

The first girl grabbed Momo's hands. "And, if you get into the top three, you'll compete against other girls from other schools in Japan too!"

"Nani? You mean other schools also hold this event?"

They both nodded excitedly. "Yes! And we think that you have the potential to become one of those top three this year!"

"D-Demo…I'm not interested in participating in something like that!" Hinamori replied.

They both giggled. "Too bad, we've already nominated you, and a lot of other students have already nominated you as well!"

"Nani?" she gasped.

They two girls smiled at Hinamori and skipped out of the classroom. "Good luck!"

**-End of Chapter 5-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Nani- What

Doushite- Why

Mou ii yo- That's enough

Iie- No

Arigato- Thank you

Demo- But

•

Ohohohohoho *Anime rich lady laugh*

Ah, another chapter completed, and another chapter to wait for!

I've just realized…that in all of my HitsuHina Fanfictions so far…I've always added Renji and Izuru in them. I wonder why… O_o

That's all for now!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

**NOTE: UPDATES WILL TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF STUDIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!**

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	6. The Competition Is On!

Okay, we're up to chapter 6 now!

**Before you read this chapter, I would like to thank those people who have reviewed this story up until now:**** toshiko-san21, icyangel27, Hyourinmaru10, skylark dragonstar, Chibi-Chibi x3, Swanfrost15, Akida Umichi, ayoshi-chan923, Hitsuhina fanatic, AnimeDreamer4life and xxAndromeda!**

**And to the people who have added this story to their favorite and story alert's list, thank you!:**** Akida Umichi, Anser's Shadow, Bloodstained Black Cat, Furryfuzzy, Holy Dawn, Hyourinmaru10, starlight3395, TheBlackRose123, TiaT, toshiko-san21, Tsuki-chama, xxAndromeda, Chibi-Chibi x3, disheartening, Fukuko-chan, Hitsuhina fanatic, Lost's Chained Wings, mysteri0s, replay802, skylark dragonstar, Soulkhk, vicious2021, xXxMusicNCookiesxXx and vic-chan!**

**Oh, and all of you who have added me to your favorite and author alert list, thanks a lot!**

I feel very touched to have this many reviews, favorites and story/author alerts, for two reasons-

1. I was expecting to have zero reviews, because I thought I was a pretty bad writer LOL

2. This is my first HitsuHina FanFic!

**Lastly, If you haven't reviewed, and you've only been reading, please, review! (I insist! :D) Because you know, more reviews, faster updates, right? :)**

Anyhow, please enjoy~!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Competition Is On!<strong>

_Previously:_

_Renji Abarai, one of the 'scariest' guys in the school, and Izuru Kira 'Mr. Perfect', friends…with me?_

_Why won't she tell me anything? Why is she hiding it from me? Is it better if I never find out? Too many questions and so little answers._

"_So, Hinamori-San! Are you going to enter?" asked a girl, excitedly._

_Hitsugaya immediately tuned in. What could this be about?_

"_Each year, the school holds a special girl contest! Girls in this school, who want to participate, fill in a form and put it into the box. Or other people can nominate the girls. Then, 15-20 girls are selected, and from then on, they do various activities, and get the students of the school to vote. They do this to become the 'Top Three Beauties of Shino High School' for a year! And, if you get into the top three, you'll compete against other girls from other schools in Japan too!"_

"_Too bad, we've already nominated you, and a lot of other students have already nominated you as well, good luck!"_

•

_The Flowers of Shino High Contest…a grand event, and every girl in Shino High School's dream to be in the top three._

"Our winner is…"

The crowd held their breaths, as they listened to the MC.

"Momo Hinamori, congratulations! You're Shino High School's top girl!"

The crowd was going wild.

"And, as a prize, you get to choose which guy you want to date for a whole year! Here's the selection, Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa and Toshiro Hitsugaya! Now, who will you choose?"

"I choose…"

_BBBRRRRIIIINNNGGGGGG!_

Hinamori shot up from the bed. She blinked, and turned off her alarm clock. "It was just a dream…" She fell back onto her soft pink pillow. "I'm so sleepy…"

She heard a knock on the window.

"?" She turned around, and looked out the balcony window.

"Momo…" the creepy voice seemed to linger in the air.

"KYAA! G-GET AWAY FROM ME, PERVERT!" She threw her slipper at the glass.

The stranger let the slipper hit the glass, and slid open the door. "Geez, what's up with you?"

"Urk…um…"

Her childhood friend brushed off some dust, and looked at her. "Huh? You're still in your pajamas?" He sighed. "We're going to be late, if you don't hurry up!"

Momo looked at him. "Wait a second…why are you here, Lil' Shiro?"

"We're going to school together from now on. Is there a problem with that?"

"No…it's just that…"

He almost flipped the table. "Just hurry up already! You're wasting time!"

"Ah, right! Sorry, I'll get changed right away! Let's see…where did I put my uniform…?"

"Gah! You're too slow, here, I'll help you!" He picked up her uniform top, and walked up to her. "Don't just stand there, start taking off your clothes."

She froze. _Take off your clothes._

He sighed. "Fine, I'll take it off for you then." He grabbed her shoulders.

Momo closed her eyes in anger. "Lil' Shiro…!"

"What now?"

Hinamori's rooftop nearly shot off into the sky. "YOU JUST DON'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY!"

•

Renji cracked up. "You tried to what?! Ahahahahaha! I can't believe you, man!"

"Isn't it normal to help out a friend who's in a rush?" muttered Toshiro.

Izuru smiled and sweat dropped. "Well, that's true, Hitsugaya-Kun, but…"

"But?"

"Between a young girl and a young boy, things like what you tried to do…don't really work out, you know?"

"Hn?"

"Ahahaha! Oh god, he's stupid! Bwa hahahaha!" Renji put his hand on his forehead.

Hitsugaya cringed. "Don't you think you're laughing a bit _too_ hard?"

"Haha, of course not! You know..haha…what they say, the more you laugh, the longer you live! Hahaha!"

Suddenly, Renji felt blood lust in the air. Hitsugaya's icy voice echoed in his ear, "I'll make you laugh to death."

•

"Hinamori-San, Ohayo Gozaimasu!" greeted a male classmate.

She smiled, "Ohayo Gozaimasu."

The group of boys turned around. "She's so cute!"

The two girls from yesterday ran up to Hinamori. "Hinamori-San, guess what?!"

"Hm, Nani?"

The other girl beamed excitedly, "The results for the chosen girls- for the contest, has just been released today!"

"Oh, that's great…"

They both grabbed her arms. "Let's go check it out!"

"Wait…what?"

And with that, they zoomed off with poor Momo being dragged behind.

•

**Break time…**

"WHY DOES LIFE DO THIS TO ME?!" yelled Momo.

"Huh?" replied the three boys.

Momo, Toshiro, Renji & Izuru were all having lunch together on the rooftop.

_Me, participating in a beauty pageant?! This is insane!_

Renji sipped on his juice. "Hey, did you guys look at the results for that random girl contest?"

Hinamori was in the corner.

"…I think you just made her mood worse." stated Izuru.

Hitsugaya whispered, "Well, I'm not exactly surprised that she got in."

Renji replied, "I'm not wondering about that. What I'm wondering about is…why wasn't Izuru on that list?"

Izuru fake smiled. "What are you implying?"

"You know, Hitsugaya, you wouldn't count Izuru as a guy, would you?" grinned Renji.

"…I'm staying out of this."

Izuru smiled. "Renji…"

"What?" he looked at him.

Izuru held up his cellphone. It had a picture of Renji surround by Chappy Bunnies, with the words, 'I LOVE YOU, CHAPPY!'

"I'll send this photo to everyone in the school."

"You wouldn't…"

"Oh, look, my finger is getting closer to the 'send' button."

"…I take my words back."

"Good dog."

"What'd you call me?!"

"Dog."

"YOU AND I, OUTSIDE, RIGHT NOW!"

"We are outside."

"…"

•

**After school…**

"You're Momo Hinamori, right?"

"Hm?" Hinamori turned around. "Yes, can I help you?"

Two girls stood before her, one short one, and one calm one. The short one had dark blonde hair, and grey eyes, while the other had black hair, and dark green eyes.

The short one winked. "I'm Kiyone Kotetsu! Nice to meet ya!"

The taller one simply nodded, "Nemu…Kurotsuchi."

Momo smiled. "Okay…erm…is that all?" _What could they possibly want with me?_

Kiyone smirked. "You've seen who's entering the Shino High Contest, yeah?"

Momo nodded.

"Have you seen what activities you'll be doing first?"

"No…"

The blonde grinned. "Here's a copy!" She handed the young girl a piece of paper.

"Ah, thank you very much, but…why are you doing this for me?"

"…Because for the first activity, it is a partner battle. You need another female contestant to be your partner, to go up against other contestants."

"Yes, but that doesn't really answer my question…" Momo sweat dropped. _These two are…strange._

"You should try and find a _good_ partner soon, Hinamori-San…"

"?" _Good?_

"Because, first up, you have us as your opponents!" replied Kiyone, smugly.

"Huh?"

They started walking away. "Heheh, good luck~ …You'll need it."

•

_Doushiyou?! I need to find a partner! But…_ Hinamori looked at the list again._ I DON'T KNOW ANYONE ON THAT LIST!_

She started to panic. "Oh no…!"

Suddenly, she heard a loud cheerful voice call out to her. "Momo Hinamori, FOUND!"

"Eh?"

She was greeted with a huge bear hug. Although, it was crushing and suffocating.

_Air…need…air…!_ "Who…?"

"Oh, sorry about that!" the person who hugged her was a beautiful woman with orange-blonde hair. She had grey eyes, and had a great body.

Momo blinked. "Um…how do you know my name?"

She smiled, "That's because everyone knows the new girl!"

"Right…and you are?"

She smacked her forehead. "Ah, how could I forget? Haha, here let me introduce myself, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, another contestant for the Shino High Contest!"

…_There's no way I can win this contest with Matsumoto-San here._ "O-Oh, I see, er…did you want something from me?"

"Do you know what the first activity for the contest is?"

"Nope. I don't know anything." replied Momo, bluntly.

Rangiku smirked. "Activity 1: Swimsuit Round!"

"Eh?! Swimsuit?!"

"Yeah, basically, the girls pick out a swimsuit, wear it, and see how many votes they receive. If you don't get enough, you'll be disqualified, but if you get lots of points, then you succeed to the next round!"

_NOOOO! _Momo was about to die. "Is there anything else…?"

"Say…have you got a partner yet?"

"No?" _Ha, I plan on just failing on purpose…_

"Fantastic!" Rangiku hugged Momo again. "We're partners from this day onwards!"

"Wait-what?!" Hinamori gasped for air. _This means that I'll definitely pass to the next round with Matsumoto-San on my team, this is bad!_

"Heehee, call me 'Rangiku-San' from now on~!" Rangiku released her from the crusher-hug. "I look forward to working with you!"

**-End of Chapter 6-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Ohayo Gozaimasu-Good Morning

Nani-What

Doushiyou-What should I do

•

Okay, chapter 6, finished! (Finally! ;D)

By the way, I'm just wondering how many of you guys like having some Japanese in fanfiction, I know that some people find it confusing and annoying, whereas others like it, because it gives more character. So, what's you guys opinions? :)

**NOTE: UPDATES WILL TAKE LONGER BECAUSE OF STUDIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!**

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	7. Let The Curtains Rise

Chapter 7 is now here!

**By the way, I've set up a poll on my profile page, to see what other people's preferences on whether I should put the translations at the top or bottom. Please take a visit, and give us your vote! Thank you!**

Anyhow, please enjoy~!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Let The Curtains Rise<strong>

_Previously:_

"_KYAA! G-GET AWAY FROM ME, PERVERT!" She threw her slipper at the glass._

"_We're going to school together from now on. Is there a problem with that?"_

"_Gah! You're too slow, here, I'll help you!" He picked up her uniform top, and walked up to her. "Don't just stand there, start taking off your clothes."_

_She froze. Take off your clothes._

_He sighed. "Fine, I'll take it off for you then." He grabbed her shoulders._

_Renji replied, "I'm not wondering about that. What I'm wondering about is…why wasn't Izuru on that list?"_

_She smacked her forehead. "Ah, how could I forget? Haha, here let me introduce myself, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, another contestant for the Shino High Contest!"_

"_Fantastic!" Rangiku hugged Momo again. "We're partners from this day onwards!"_

•

_1. Start a new high school life successfully._

_2. Meet Toshiro again._

_3. Try to stay out of trouble._

_4. FAIL THE BEAUTY PAGEANT!_

Momo clutched her head in her hands. "THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I mean- a Beauty Pageant isn't bad, I just never wanted to join it in the first place! I was planning to just fail, no biggy, BUT THEN I MET RANGIKU-SAN! CHANCE OF FAILING THE FIRST ROUND- GONE!" she paused. "Wait…even if I DO pass the first round…I can always fail the second round!"

Two girls walked down the corridor; they were talking about the famous Beauty Pageant. "I wish I was in the competition!"

"So do I~! And if I were, I'd definitely pass the first round!"

"Yes, no doubt! Because if you pass the first round, you're practically safe!"

Momo's ear twitched. _Safe?_ "Excuse me, could you please tell me what you mean by 'safe' after the first round?"

The two girls gasped, Momo Hinamori, the new and super popular transfer student, was talking to them! "Oh…well, um…"

"Hm?" Momo smiled, but in her mind, she was ushering them to hurry up and answer.

"That is to say…once you pass the first round, you've successfully made it into the competition."

"Eh? But, I thought if you name was on the list…"

The girls nodded. "Yes, but think of it like this- the first round is more of an entrance test. If you fail it, you can't continue to compete. However, if you pass it, you will definitely be in for the rest of the contest!"

Hinamori banged her head against the wall. _It's hopeless…even if I try to fail the second round, I'd still stay in the Pageant…!_

The girls smiled awkwardly at Hinamori. "W-Well, I hope you do well in the contest, good luck!" the quickly scurried away, seeing as how she was in a gloomy mood.

"BED WETTER MOMO, I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!" Hitsugaya ran towards his fellow best friend.

She continued to mumble to herself. "And after I pass the first round, Rangiku-San will…"

He grabbed her wrist, and dragged her through the school hallways. "C'mon, Bed wetter Momo, it's getting late, and I'm sure you don't want to end up sleeping in school grounds."

•

"…Do I have to CARRY you home?" asked an annoyed Toshiro.

Momo murmured, "Maybe. No. Yes. Kind of. Sort of. No, not really. It'd be nice. No, I can walk. Carrying doesn't hurt anybody though. Yeah, actually, can you? Wait, no, never mind, I'm in a panic state. But my brain's hurting, so carrying wouldn't be so bad, but-"

Toshiro sighed, and swooped her up like a princess.

"Ah! T-Toshiro?!" she gasped, shocked.

He muttered under his breath, "Geez…you're quite heavy for a girl. What have you been eating…?"

She felt her face heat up. "I-I haven't been eating anything! I just-"

He chuckled. "I'm just joking."

She felt dumbfounded.

After a small while, Hinamori said, "You know if I'm heavy, you can just put me down."

"I was joking about that part too."

"…Oh."

"You're really gullible, aren't you?" he looked at her.

"…"

He nodded. "Anyhow, we're here." He let her down.

She bowed slightly. "Thank you, Lil' Shiro. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Momo patted his head, and messed up his snow hair. "Oi! It's Toshiro, and stop treating me like a kid!"

She laughed, and turned to walk into the house.

"Momo?"

She stopped, and whirled around again. "Yes, Lil' shiro?"

He scratched the back of his head, and shifted his gaze. "About the Beauty Pageant…"

Those words were like taboo for her. She felt a heavy rock fall onto her head. "W-What about it…?"

"I just wanted to say, I'll always be cheering for you. Good luck." He quickly walked away.

She blinked. "Lil' Shiro…?"

•

Days had passed; Toshiro still couldn't find out why Hinamori left, but swore that he will find out eventually, and Momo was busy panicking about the Pageant. Before they both knew it, the day of the first round had arrived.

"Oh no! Rangiku-San, what do I do?!" gasped Hinamori.

The orange-haired beauty turned to her. "Hmm?"

"I didn't buy a swimsuit!"

Rangiku laughed. "Ahahaha! Silly, you're not supposed to!"

"Huh?"

"You're really not experienced with this sort of stuff, are you?"

"No…"

"They have swimsuits already provided. You just need to choose the _perfect_ one."

"Oh…ok…"

"Feeling nervous?" she smiled.

"Erm…no. Yes…a lot." She replied.

Rangiku smirked. "Don't worry; with me here, we'll definitely get through it!"

•

"Welcome to the Flowers of Shino High School Beauty Pageant! As you all know, we have various pretty girls competing to become the 'Top Three Beauties of Shino High School' for a year! Not only that, but if you get into the top three, you'll compete against other girls from other schools in Japan too! We wish you all luck, and remember to have fun!" announced Yoruichi Shihoin. She was the Vice Chairman of the school, and she was the person who held nearly all of the school events.

"I, Yoruichi Shihoin, will be the MC for the Beauty Pageant! Now, the first round is a swimsuit contest! Where all these lovely young ladies, pick a swimsuit to their liking, and receive votes from the audience. The five teams that receive the most votes will enter the next round. The unlucky ones will be disqualified. Which means, only ten girls can pass to the second round!"

The crowd was so excited. This was all happening in the school hall. Just so happens, Renji, Izuru, and Hitsugaya got the front row seats.

"I shall now call out all of the contestant's names."

Everyone murmured enthusiastically.

"First, the Top Three Beauties from last year…"

"First Beauty, who won the contest last year, Rangiku Matsumoto!" Momo immediately snapped her head at Matsumoto. She had no idea that she was last year's winner!

Rangiku took a confident step forward, and talked cheerfully into the microphone. "Hi everyone, as you all know, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto! I hope I win again this year, so please vote for me~!" She winked, and her whole fan club fainted.

"Second Beauty, Soi Fon, the 'Ice Princess'!" Everyone had heard of Soi Fon, the Ice Princess. Perfect in studies, and perfect sports. She had a cold personality, but despite that, she had beautiful looks. Some say, that she's the Tsundere type.

Soi Fon stepped forward. "Second year, Soi Fon. I don't really care about this, so do what you want."

She also had a fan club, and they admired her. "OMG! She's so cool!" "I'd receive a death-glare from Soi Fon-Sama any day~!"

Yoruichi sweat dropped at Soi Fon's comment, but put it to the side. "And Third Beauty, Isane Kotetsu, student assistant of the School Nurse!"

Isane took a step forward. "Nice to see you're all doing well! Even though I'm a third year student, I hope to rank a high place this year!"

Some male students sighed in admiration. "Isane-San's kindness is always heart-warming~!"

"And now, for the remaining students. We have first year, Yachiru Kusajishi!"

The pink-haired girl skipped up to the microphone. "Howdy! How do you all do? I'm Yachiru! Vote for my cuteness!"

Hitsugaya mumbled to himself, "What's a kid doing up there…?"

Yoruichi continued, "Second year, Kiyone Kotetsu!"

Kiyone strolled up. "Hello, I'm Isane's sister! I hope I win!"

"Second year, Nemu Kurotsuchi!"

"Hello. Please vote for me."

Renji frowned. "Is it just me, or does Nemu sort of remind you guys of a girl in a creepy horror movie?"

The MC said a whole lot more names, and finally, Momo's name was called. "And last, but not least, Momo Hinamori, the new popular transfer student!"

Izuru smiled. "It seems that's Hinamori-San's new title."

Hinamori nervously stepped forward. "H-Hello, everyone. This is my first time entering something like this, so please wish me luck!"

Some guys in her class squealed at her cute and shyness, and Hitsugaya just smirked.

"Now, let the Swimsuit Rage begin!"

•

"Girls, you've got exactly twenty minutes! Starting from…now!"

The curtains closed, while all the girls rushed to find a good swimsuit.

Rangiku took one out, "Ooh! How about this one? Momo-Chan, what do you think?"

She looked at it. "Uh…it's unique…I suppose?"

"Hm…" she looked in a mirror. "Nope. Don't like it." She put it back. "Oh! How about this one for you, Momo-Chan?!" she pulled out a small scarlet bikini.

"Um...well…" she looked at it, and shook her head. "It's too revealing…"

Rangiku raised an eyebrow. "You think so? This type of stuff gets the guys swooning!"

"Ahaha…is that so…?"

After a few minutes, Rangiku finally picked out a few, and tried them all out. She kept asking Hinamori questions, and soon, she finally decided on which one she wanted. She had chosen a warm pink swimsuit that really showed off her curves. It was quite revealing, but that was Matsumoto's style. After Rangiku was satisfied with her swimsuit, she helped Hinamori pick out one.

"Well, first, what's your favorite color?"

"Um…I'm good with anything…"

"…What colors do you think suit you best?"

"Er…maybe pink, or blue…or just…light colors in general?" she suggested.

Matsumoto was already grabbing tons of swimsuits, and asking Hinamori to try them all on. After a long time of debating, the both finally came to an agreement.

"TIME UP!" The curtains were raised, and Yoruichi stood in the middle of the stage. "Sorry for the wait, but all of it was well worth it!"

"The first round is a team battle. Two teams will come up, and the judges will comment on which is better. Some posing may be necessary. The first team is Isane Kotetsu & Mei Sayu VS Soi Fon & Yachiru Kusajishi!"

The four girls faced each other. Isane was wearing a slender grey swimsuit, it seemed quite ordinary, but nonetheless, it suited her. Mei was wearing a pale green swimsuit, nothing special, and nothing flashy. Soi Fon was wearing a nice sunset yellow outfit. Of course, yellow is her favorite color. She also had a smooth orange thin cloth, wrapped around her waist. Yachiru wore a frilly purple swimsuit with some flowers and stars. She did look even more like a child, but that gave off the cute effect.

It was slightly obvious who the clear winner was for that match. "Winner of Match One: Soi Fon & Yachiru!"

Another three more matches were called, and then finally, it was Matsumoto and Hinamori's turn. Their opponents was Kiyone Kotetsu & Nemu Kurotsuchi.

Kiyone nodded towards Rangiku's direction. "Hinamori-San, I see that you managed to get yourself a good partner."

Hinamori merely nodded. She was quite nervous; were they going to win, or lose?

Matsumoto smirked, and put an arm around Hinamori. "Indeed she did find a good partner! So good, that you two will be thrashed down!"

"We shall see about that…" replied Nemu, emotionlessly.

Kiyone wore a bikini, with light grassy green colors. It was a good outfit, but seeing as how a bikini doesn't exactly go with a flat chest, Kiyone didn't receive too many votes. Nemu on the other hand, received tons of votes. She wore a dark black swimsuit, sort of Lolita style. The top was like a bikini, but the bottom part was more of a skirt. Rangiku had votes flying sky high. She was wearing the warm pink bikini she picked out, it showed a lot of skin, showed off her curves, and wow, tons of guys were staring. Hinamori got nearly as many votes as Rangiku! She was wearing a pure white one piece, and it had small bits of tinted pink that sort of blended in with the white. To add more effect, her dark hair was in a loose ponytail resting on her shoulder, with a pale pink-white ribbon keeping it together. Even Hitsugaya couldn't help but keep his turquoise eyes on her.

"Winner of Match Four: Rangiku & Momo!"

•

Soon, all the matches were finished, and the MC called out which participants have passed to the second round.

"The following contestants have successfully passed: Soi Fon, Yachiru Kusajishi, Momo Hinamori, Rangiku Matsumoto, and" She called out a whole bunch of other names. "Congratulations girls! Good luck on the next round!"

Everyone applauded, and started to leave the school hall.

•

Renji threw an arm around Izuru. "Hey, Izuru, did you see that smoking hot chick?!"

Izuru chuckled. "Which one are you referring to? I don't think I did, I kept my eye on some other girl."

"Hn. What's so great about the contest anyways?" muttered Hitsugaya

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Dude, just admit it. You're trying to cover up the fact that you were staring at Momo the whole time."

Toshiro felt a line of red streak across his face. He didn't dare to turn around to face the guys. "Hmph. I wasn't staring…!" he quickly walked ahead of the two.

Izuru smirked. "I bet he was."

Renji nodded. "I bet five dollars."

"Make it one dollar."

"You that poor?"

"I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW!" shouted Hitsugaya.

•

"Heehee, Momo-Chan, we did it! We managed to pass the first round!" Rangiku wrapped her arms around Momo.

Hinamori gasped for air. "Y-Yes, we did..."

Rangiku released her, "But you know; now this is where we part. For the next rounds, we're rivals!"

Momo nodded. "Hai, I understand."

She waved. "It was nice working with you, Ganbatte~!"

•

Hinamori sighed. It had been a tiring day. _What am I going to do…? I passed the first round but…_ She frowned. _How many rounds were there again?_ She hoped there weren't too many.

While she was in deep thought, a cold voice called out to her. "Hey you, you're Momo Hinamori, am I correct?"

She turned, and standing before her, was Soi Fon. She truly was a beauty, dark black hair, deadly yet pretty eyes, and a petite body. "C-Can I help you…?"

Soi Fon crossed her arms. "I'm surprised you made it to the second round. Satisfied?"

"Well…I guess so?" _No, not really…_

"Hm, why are you entering this in the first place?"

"Uh…"

"You don't really seem the type."

"Um…" _You don't really seem the type either, Soi Fon._

"Well, whatever. It has no concern of me. I won't wish you good luck, because 'good luck' isn't exactly real. See you." She walked off, coolly.

"Er…okay, bye." _No concern…? Then why bother asking?_ Momo was confused.

•

"Hinamoriiiiii! You take too long!" groaned Toshiro.

"Ok, ok, hold on! Just a minute!" came the reply.

"You said that last time!"

"Just wait, Lil' Shiro!"

Toshiro sighed, as he waited longer for his friend to get out of the changing rooms. A minute passed, and she still hadn't come out yet.

"Don't make me come in there…" he mumbled.

Momo hurriedly ran out. "Okay, there, I'm done!"

He raised an eyebrow, "What took you so long?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, you're just impatient!"

He grabbed her hand. "Whatever then, let's go."

She blushed, as she held his warm hand.

•

"Lil' Shiro, where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"Where?"

"Not home."

"Where?"

"I told you, somewhere."

"If you're taking me somewhere, don't you think I deserve to know?"

"We're nearly there."

"WHERE?!"

"Just be patient! Sheesh, and you tell me that I'm too impatient!"

She pouted, but he ignored her.

The two of them were walking through town together, at sunset. The sky had wonderful streaks of orange painting the tanning skies. The fluffy clouds were turning a peachy pink.

"Here we are, it's on me." They sat down at a table, outside the café.

She looked around, and that's when it came to her. They were in Momo's favorite café! Then, she suddenly had a flash back.

_~Flashback~_

"_Happy Tenth Birthday, Momo!" smiled Toshiro's grandma._

_Toshiro blushed slightly. "Happy birthday, Bed wetter Momo."_

_She grinned at both of them. "Thank you so much, you two! And Lil' Shiro, stop calling me that!"_

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever." He scratched his head._

_His grandma laughed. "C'mon you two, let's cut the cake now."_

_It was just the three of them, in Momo's favorite café that day. Momo loved everything there, the layout, the food, the workers, all of it. It was Momo's tenth birthday, and her parents were both busy working. Hinamori was a bit sad that they couldn't arrive until later, but as long as her childhood friend was here with her, she thought it would be fine._

"_Ok, clap three times, make a wish, and blow out the candles!"_

_They all clapped, Hinamori made a small wish, silently. 'I hope my parents can arrive safely, so we can all be together on my birthday.' She then blew out the candles._

_Toshiro's old grandma suddenly got a phone call. She nodded, and excused herself._

_Momo and Toshiro had a nice chat together. They talked, joked, made fun of each other, and laughed together. They were the best of friends. They played with each other every day, and they even had nap times together._

_Grandma came back, and her smile had left her face. "Momo…"_

"_What is it, Granny?" She smiled sweetly at her._

_She kneeled down, and took Momo's hands into hers. "Momo, listen to me, you're a good girl, brought up by lovely parents. However, they won't be able to see you for your birthday."_

_Toshiro's face had turned grim as well._

_I didn't really get it. Why had the atmosphere turned so…sour? "Hm? Granny, I don't understand."_

_She shook her head. "They won't be coming back."_

"_?"_

_That's when I realized…that my parents had passed away in a car accident. They had finished up their work early, and were on their way to meet me. A truck driver hadn't seen my parent's car turn the corner, and crashed right into it. The truck driver and my parents didn't survive._

_I remember that was the hardest time I'd ever cried in my life. Toshiro didn't say a word to me, until I calmed down. Granny looked after me, and Toshiro stayed by my side all the time, despite all the bad rumors about him. People blamed him for my parent's death. They all said he was bad luck. But I didn't believe a word of it, he was my dear friend, and I still visited him._

_Third of June, parent's death, and my birthday. I never forgot that day. I'll always remember it. I remember holding my parent's birthday card that was never delivered to me by hand. I remember the present I didn't unwrap until a week later. I remember my parent's funeral._

_Even though Toshiro was still there, I remember that was the loneliness time for me. _

_~Flashback end~_

"Momo, why are you crying?" blinked Hitsugaya.

Hinamori snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at her reflection in the polished table. Her tears were flowing out. "N-Nandemonai…" she quickly wiped her eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" he was worried about her.

"Betsuni…" she grabbed the menu. "A-Anyhow, we should order!"

"…If you say so. I'll have ice cream."

Momo nodded. "Then, I'll take the peach cake."

He smirked. "Exactly the same cake that you always get on your birthday."

She blushed a bit. _I can't believe he remembers that!_ "It _is_ my favorite cake."

•

After they had finished the food, they walked to a near local park. Momo skipped over to the swings, and sat on the seat. "Lil' Shiro, push me, push me!"

He shook his head. "Aren't you a bit old to play on swings?"

"I'm still young at heart!"

He sighed. "You don't really give me a choice."

He pushed her back a few times, and each time, she went higher. She laughed playfully, as the breeze whipped her hair.

When she was high enough to swing on her own, Toshiro sat on the swing next to her, and joined her swinging rhythm. Every time she went forward, he'd go backwards. Every time she went backwards, he'd go forwards.

Some time passed, and they both had tired of swinging. Momo could feel the cool chain against her palm.

"Do you want to talk?" asked Toshiro.

She shook her head.

"…" he looked at her, with concern written all over his face. "…I may be wrong, but were you crying at the café because memories of your tenth birthday came back?"

She froze. Dead on the mark. "H-How did you know…?"

"That was the last time you and I ever went to that café. We never returned there, not until today."

She slowly nodded.

He stroked her back comfortably. "It's okay, Momo. The past is the past."

She held back tears, and gripped the swing chains harder. "A-A-Arigato…Toshiro…!"

Hitsugaya smiled at her. Not because she didn't call him 'Lil' Shiro' for once, but because this was the Momo he knew. The Momo he supported. The Momo that he always stood by. "Remember, I'm here for you."

She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She held onto him, and cried in his chest.

He patted her head gently. "Don't worry, Momo. I'll continue to support and stand by you, just like I've always done."

•

It was getting late, and the skies were darkening. Hitsugaya and Hinamori decided to take the bus back.

Hitsugaya watched Hinamori about to doze off, and then quickly sitting straight up, then dozing off again, and repeat this another five times.

"You know, if you're getting sleepy, you can lean on my shoulder." He chuckled.

She sat up straight again. "Iie, I'm okay…"

He shrugged. "Sure you are."

Moments passed, and Momo's head fell onto Hitsugaya's shoulder.

He smiled at her, "Baka. I knew you'd end up like this."

**-End of Chapter 7-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Tsundere- (Hmm…that's sort of a hard one to explain; I think it'd be easier if you searched up "Definition for Tsundere" Sorry about that D:)

Hai-Yes

Ganbatte-Good luck

Nandemonai-Nothing or Never mind

Betsuni-Not really

Arigato-Thank you

Iie-No

Baka-Idiot or stupid

•

Haha, did you guys like it? Hope you did!

When I was writing the flashback, I was aiming to get the readers, like you, to feel very sad, or start crying xD! I let Inoki read that part, and she ended up crying, so I thought it was an achievement! And if you weren't brought to tears, I suggest you listen to 'Will of the Heart' by Shiro Sagisu, also the Bleach OST, while reading that part. (It even made me teary-eyed, and I'm the one who wrote it!)

Well, thanks for reading!

**By the way, I've set up a poll on my profile page, to see what other people's preferences on whether I should put the translations at the top or bottom. Please take a visit, and give us your vote! Thank you!**

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	8. First Date

I'm still alive! Sorry for the wait. I hereby deliver the eighth chapter to you lovely readers!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: First Date<strong>

_Previously:_

"_BED WETTER MOMO, I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!"_

_Renji frowned. "Is it just me, or does Nemu sort of remind you guys of a girl in a creepy horror movie?"_

"_Heehee, Momo-Chan, we did it! We managed to pass the first round!" Rangiku wrapped her arms around Momo._

_Toshiro blushed slightly. "Happy birthday, Bed wetter Momo."_

"_Momo, listen to me, you're a good girl, brought up by lovely parents. However, they won't be able to see you for your birthday."_

_I remember that was the hardest time I'd ever cried in my life. Toshiro didn't say a word to me, until I calmed down. Granny looked after me, and Toshiro stayed by my side all the time, despite all the bad rumors about him. People blamed him for my parent's death. They all said he was bad luck._

_Even though Toshiro was still there, I remember that was the loneliness time for me._

"_Don't worry, Momo. I'll continue to support and stand by you, just like I've always done."_

•

"Momo-Chan~!" sang Matsumoto.

"H-Hai…?"

"Are you excited for two days' time?!" grinned the orange-haired beauty.

"Um…no?" blinked Momo.

"What?! But in two days' time the second round starts!"

"Ahaha…is that so?"

"Yes! And guess what?!"

"What?"

"This time, they've set a theme for it. Again, it's about fashion though."

"What is the theme?" smiled Momo.

"The theme is-'What you would wear on your first date'! Sounds pretty simple, right?" winked Rangiku.

"I suppose so…"

The bell rang, signaling for class to start. Rangiku started to leave the classroom. "I look forward to going up against you, Momo-Chan! See you!"

"Something I would wear on my first date…?"

•

"And where did you get that ridiculous idea from?" muttered Toshiro.

"Please! Just this once, Lil' Shiro?" She grabbed his hands, and looked at his turquoise eyes.

"What-?! No way!" He shook his head. "And you still haven't answered my question."

She sighed. "It's for the contest. The theme is 'What you would wear to a first date'."

"Hah? Can't you just pick something out of your wardrobe?" Toshiro scratched his head.

"No! I just heard from some other girls, that they'll pair you up with a random guy, and you have to act as if it is your first time on a date!"

"So…you have to make it look like you two are the best couple for this round?"

"Hai. They'll ask questions and such. I also heard there's a photo shoot as well." Momo looked serious.

"Eh…I thought you didn't want anything to do with the contest…"

"I don't, but it's better to get this over and done with, right?!" She grinned.

"Even so, you could just fail and it'd be finished faster…" he sighed.

"I want a good reputation in this school! You know, like building up a good image!"

"…I don't think you need to build up a fake image of yourself. You're fine the way you are, Momo." He looked into her chocolate eyes.

Hinamori's cheeks tinged pink. "N-Nani…" she quickly broke the intense eye contact. "Anyways!"

"Hm?"

"Toshiro, please go on a date with me! I already told you the reason why!" she pleaded.

"Don't you understand the meaning of no? I'm not going on an intimidate meeting with the opposite gender!" he groaned.

"…That is the longest way of calling a 'date', I have ever heard." mumbled Momo.

"Hn." He shrugged it off.

"Demo…It'll be my first date, so it's perfect practice for the competition!" whined Momo.

"That's why I think it's pointless! You're doing all this for a competition. Someone's first date should be a meeting that's very special to them…Not experience for some petty competition." said Hitsugaya.

"You sound like you know a lot…" She folded her arms.

"Urk! No, I don't! It's just common knowledge!" he waved his hands.

"Well, I'm not giving up. Lil' Shiro, if you meet me at my house tomorrow, at 12:00 PM, then I'll stop calling you 'Lil' Shiro'."

"Just go ask someone else!" He flapped his hand in front of her.

"Like who?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Like…Kira, or even Abarai." He mumbled.

"Hmm…" she glanced at the two boys.

"?"

"Fine, I think I will!" she pouted, and strolled over to them.

"…She's actually going to ask?" blinked the snow-haired boy.

"Izuru-Kun, Renji-Kun! Do you two have a minute?" the peach smiled at the two.

They both looked up from their card game. "Sure?"

"Well, I was wondering if tomorrow…"

"She's actually asking…!" gasped Hitsugaya.

"And if one of you is available, then I was thinking, maybe…"

Hitsugaya grabbed Hinamori's wrist, and quickly pulled her away from the two.

"Eh? Lil' Shiro?"

"…I'll go."

"Ee to…"

"I'll meet you tomorrow, at your house, 12:00 PM, for your 'First Date'."

Hinamori brightened. "Honto Ni?!"

"Yes." nodded her childhood friend.

"Ureshikatta ~!" she hugged him.

"Aghh-Momo?! Oi-People are watching!"

•

_Why did I agree to this…?_ Sighed Toshiro, as he looked at the time on his watch. He was exactly one minute early.

"Lil' Shiro!" called a cheerful voice.

He looked up, to see Hinamori waving at him from upstairs window. He waved lazily. "Hey."

"What do you think I should wear on a first date…?" asked Hinamori.

"Why are you asking me?!"

"Well, you know…I thought you'd know something…"

Hitsugaya groaned. "I'm coming up." he unlocked her front door with the spare key he received from her years ago.

Hinamori sat on her bed, looking at her closet thoughtfully.

He stood next to her, and also looked inside her closet. "Hm…"

"?" she looked at him.

"I'm not sure if this also applies to girls…but apparently, if you're going on a first date, the best style to go in is the casual look."

"The casual look…?"

"For example, what I'm wearing right now."

Hinamori examined him. He was wearing a dark blue short sleeved jacket, with a black shirt underneath. His pants were a light grey, and he had a simple silver chain around his neck.

"Wow…Lil' Shiro, you look great!" admired Momo.

"Erm…thank you, I suppose?" he turned his head away in embarrassment.

"You're welcome!" She stood up, and went through her wardrobe. "Hm…this one? Or maybe…"

Toshiro picked out a light pink cardigan. "How about this one? With…" he opened a drawer. "This." And handed her a white spring dress.

"A pink cardigan and a white dress underneath?" mumbled Momo.

"Yep. I think it suits you. It's pretty casual, and it's not overdone. Try it on."

She walked into the bathroom, and did so. Minutes passed, and she came out.

Toshiro looked at her, from head to toe. He then nodded in approval. "That'll do."

"But what about my hair? And shoes?"

He folded his arms. "I don't really understand why I'm helping a girl with fashion, but whatever. Show me your shoes."

She took out a few pairs of shoes. He put a hand to his chin. "You don't have much of a selection…"

"Hmph, sorry for not buying tons of shoes!" she pouted.

He chuckled. "I didn't say it was a bad thing." He picked up some white ribbon flats. "Wear these ones."

She put them on, and walked around.

"Comfortable?" asked the white haired boy.

"Hai!" she sat in front of her mirror. "Now…what should I do for my hair…?"

"I'm sure you can work this one out." He sat down on her bed.

After a small while, she decided to keep her dark hair down; and had a small clip held back some of her hair. She then stood up, and smiled angelically at her childhood friend. "Shall we go?"

He quickly blinked, realizing he was staring. "Uh…sure. Where to?"

"Um…"

"You asked me out, and you don't even know where to go?"

"T-That is…!" she tried to think of a place. No good; nothing came to mind.

He held his watch up. "Time is a vital part of a date."

"Eh? How so?" she glanced at his watch.

"Right now, it's 12:30 PM. Around that time, is when people eat lunch. So, the first thing you should think of is where to grab a bite."

"Ah! I see! Um…where should we eat…?" she put a finger to her chin.

Hitsugaya sighed. _She really is clueless…_ "I won't suggest a place, because it doesn't work that way. I'll give you some tips though."

She tuned in. "Okay?"

"For a first date, never go to a fast food place. Never go somewhere that's close by, because it proves that you're lazy. Don't go to a place too far either. You shouldn't choose a cheap place, or else your partner may be disappointed in you. Don't choose an expensive place though, or else your partner may expect more expensive things from you. The only time you can ever choose a cheap place, is when you know the food quality is reasonably fine, and if your partner likes that type of food."

Momo scribbled all of that into a notebook. "That makes sense…"

"Why are you writing all this down?" he raised an eyebrow.

"So I will remember all this for tomorrow!"

He confiscated her note book. "You won't have the time to look at your note book. The best way to learn is to experience it yourself, and put yourself into a similar situation. Now, let's stop wasting time."

•

They walked through town together, side by side. "Hey, Lil' Shiro?"

"Nandayo?" he looked at Hinamori.

"How come you know so much?" she glanced at his face.

"Er…I don't! It's just…general knowledge! Everyone around here knows this stuff!" he avoided eye contact.

"Hm…really?"

"It's just because you only came back recently, so that's why you know so little!" he lied.

"If you say so~"

They continued walking. Hitsugaya felt a small tug on his sleeve. "?"

Hinamori pointed to their left. "Instead of sitting down and eating, why don't we grab something from there, and eat it while walking? That way we can still make it to the destination, with no delays."

"Good, you're starting to catch on." They headed towards the food stall.

They were selling freshly made crepes.

"I'll buy us both one…" Toshiro took out his wallet.

"Oh, okay then." replied Hinamori.

"Wrong!"

"Eh?!" Hinamori blinked, surprised.

The stall owner just looked at the two customers, like: 'What's going on?'

"You shouldn't accept your partner's offer so easily!"

"Nani? Doushite?"

"Because, they might start to think: 'Oh, so she just wants me to pay for everything.' What if they start to think that you're just a selfish little brat?"

"Ah, you've got a point!"

"We'll try that again." He grabbed his wallet again. "I'll buy us both one…"

The stall owner sweat dropped.

Hinamori gently put Hitsugaya's hand down. "No, I'll pay."

"Hm? Really?" questioned Toshiro.

"Yes, I insist." smiled Momo. "Excuse me, two crepes please."

"Correct, but sometimes, your partner might object. If that happens, just let them pay." nodded Toshiro.

"What flavors?" asked the stall owner.

"I'll have a strawberry with chocolate sauce. And he'll have…" she looked at her friend.

Toshiro looked at the stall owner. "Lemon and sugar, thanks."

Minutes later, they were walking the streets and eating their crepes.

"Now, Hinamori, where are we heading to? We've already gotten something to eat, so what next?" quizzed Toshiro.

She put a finger to her chin. "Um…let's see…"

"Here's a hint. The main part of the date is depending on what place you spend a lot of time at. Choose a place that you'd think would be fun for your partner and yourself." He whispered.

"Ee to…let's go to the amusement park!" she cheered.

"Haha, now we're talking!"

•

They soon arrived at the big colorful playground.

"What should we ride first?" smiled Toshiro.

"Hmm…let's ride that!"

"If you want to."

•

They queued up for the ride.

"This ride…I don't want to go on it. I'll just watch you…" mumbled Toshiro, as he backed away.

"Eh? Why?" asked Hinamori, innocently.

"To be honest…it'll harm my pride."

"…It's just the 'Merry-Go-Round'!" she pulled on his sleeve.

"That's the point! A 'Merry-Go-Round' is for children! Young children!" he pointed at the spinning ride, with kiddy music, and ponies going up and down.

"But I haven't been on it since I was small! Please, Lil' Shiro~?"

"No…!" he took a step back.

Hinamori gave him the puppy eyes. The irresistible ones. "Onegai, Toshiro?"

"…Fine."

"Yay!"

Hinamori got onto a white horse, and Hitsugaya took the brown one next to her. The ride started going around.

"Heehee, I haven't been on this for such a long time~!" the wind swept Momo's hair.

Toshiro couldn't help, but keep looking around. Just in case if there was someone he knew watching.

•

"What should we do next?" asked Momo, in a chirpy mood.

"My turn to pick…"

"Eh…the line is quite long." pouted Momo.

"Too bad, we're riding this." Toshiro stuck his feet to the ground. He wasn't going to move from this spot, unless if the line was moving forward.

"I think I'll pass…" murmured Momo.

"Hm? Scared now, are we?" teased Toshiro.

"What? No, just…I don't really fancy the roller coaster…" she trailed off.

The line started moving. Toshiro grabbed her arm, and dragged her. "You made me ride the Merry-Go-Round, this is revenge."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo!" she shook her head, as the safety part of the chair came down, to secure them.

The roller coaster zoomed off. It was speeding, turning sharp corners, and Momo shut her eyes tightly, trying not to scream. Whereas Toshiro was just laughing.

It suddenly slowed down, and Momo opened her eyes. They were going uphill. _Oh, well, this part of the ride isn't so bad…_ It stopped moving. "Lil' Shiro, is it supposed to stop like thi-"

The roller coaster went down at full speed.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Hinamori, as she clenched the safety part tighter.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hitsugaya couldn't stop laughing.

•

"Ah, that was fun." Hitsugaya walked out, feeling satisfied.

Momo felt sick. "Ugh…"

He smirked. "Next?"

•

"Whoa!" Toshiro dodged some random white thing that could've hit him. "The heck…?"

"Kya!" Hinamori clutched onto Toshiro's arm.

"What's wrong, Momo?!" He looked at her.

"T-That thing…I swear, it moved…!" she was trembling in fear.

"Hah…why did you suggest the haunted house, if you're scared in the first thirty seconds?" mumbled Toshiro.

"Because…I don't kno-AGGHHH WHAT IS THAT?!" she screamed.

He shook his head. _Sheesh…_

They both froze to the spot, as they heard a low growl. They slowly turned around, and saw a ghost, coming straight towards them. Pale deadly hands, a gown stained red, long black hair hid the face, sharp nails piercing through the air.

Hinamori and Hitsugaya looked at each other, then immediately ran as fast as they could. It kept chasing them, and they accidentally ran into a labyrinth. "OH MY FREAKIN GOD, IT'S STILL CHASING US!"

•

They successfully made it outside the maze. They were panting heavily.

"I'm…huff…going to have nightmares…hahh…" puffed Hinamori.

"Phew…" Toshiro looked at his watch. "Hinamori."

"Yes?"

"Want to go to the bumper cars before we head to the Ferris Wheel lights?" asked Toshiro.

She nodded. "Hai!"

•

"I won't lose to you, Lil' Shiro!" grinned Momo, as she put her seat belt on.

"Ha, you're too confident." smirked Toshiro, as he buckled himself in. "It's on."

They both drove like crazy, and kept going around. Turning sharp corners at full speed, smashing into walls, and loud ear piercing screeches; it was insane.

Toshiro bumped into Momo's car on purpose. He then continued to crash into her car, and scraped her car against the wall. "Eek! Lil' Shiro, stop it!"

He laughed. "It's not Lil' Shiro, it's Toshiro!" he then retreated.

Few seconds later, he felt another car crashing into the back of his. "Oi!" he turned, and saw Momo smiling.

"You're asking for it!"

They both crashed into each other, and Momo soon managed to get Toshiro stuck in a corner. The two cracked up laughing.

_It's been a long time…since I've been able to laugh like this._ –thought Momo.

•

Hitsugaya grabbed Hinamori's hand. "C'mon, let's head over to the Ferris Wheel!"

"Okay!" she smiled happily.

The two hopped into a carriage. And they slowly drifted higher and higher. The stars were shining brightly, and the moon glowed over them. They looked down, and could see a night parade taking place. All of a sudden, beautiful colored lights flashed on, and they shone exquisitely.

Hinamori gasped in awe, as she pressed her face to the glassed window. "Wow!"

Hitsugaya smiled softly, as he gazed at his childhood friend. "Kirei, ne?"

"Yes, very!" Momo couldn't take her eyes off of the pretty lights.

Toshiro coughed.

She looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"Iie…Nandemonai." _When I meant beautiful…I was talking about you, not the lights. But I won't tell her that._

•

"Today was all smiles." smirked a pleased Toshiro.

"Indeed! Indeed!" smiled Momo, cheerfully.

"I'll walk you home." And Toshiro did just that. After all, they do live in the same area.

Momo didn't even realize that she was holding Toshiro's hand. She just kept chatting happily away about today's events.

Once they had reached her house, Toshiro said his goodbyes. "Good night, Momo."

She nodded, and thanked him, "Thank you for today, Lil' Shiro!" that's when she realized she was holding his hand. She immediately let go, and felt her face heat up. _Thank god it's dark…_

He smiled. "You'll do fine tomorrow. All you need to remember is to have fun."

Hinamori couldn't wipe the smile off her face. "Yes, and I'll remember the things you've taught me!"

"You better." Toshiro patted her head. "Well, I'm off now. Sweet dreams." He walked off coolly.

_I'm glad I ended up going on a date with her…_

•

**The next day…**

"…And as you all know, you'll be paired up with random guys from the audience." finished Yoruichi.

Izuru mumbled, "So that's why all the guys had to write their name on a piece of paper before they entered the hall…"

_Yosh! This is it! I'm ready!_ Momo was determined to score well.

"Rangiku Matsumoto, your partner will be…"

Matsumoto smirked confidently. _I'll nail this!_

"Student Teacher, Gin Ichimaru."

"What?! Teachers/Student Teachers count?!" exclaimed Rangiku, shocked.

Yoruichi smiled. "I did say any random guy in the audience."

Ichimaru walked up, with that same fox smile. "Treat me well, Rangiku-Chan~"

"Next, is Soi Fon. Your partner will be…"

"Hmph. Better not be anyone foolish." She folded her arms.

"Vice Chairman, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Everyone gasped. "The vice chairman?!"

Soi Fon blinked. "What?! Chairman/Vice Chairman counts?!"

Yoruichi smirked. "Well, I _did_ say any random guy in the audience."

"Don't get any funny ideas!" glared Soi Fon.

"I won't, as long as you don't." replied Byakuya, coolly.

Soi Fon sighed. It wasn't going to be easy. Especially because Byakuya was practically emotionless.

Lots of the contestants were hoping they wouldn't get the chairman, Yamamoto. Just so happens he's sitting in the crowd.

A few more names were called.

"Momo Hinamori's partner is…"

Yoruichi unfolded the paper. "Toshiro Hitsugaya!"

Momo and Toshiro stared at each other. _Did I hear that correctly?_

He made his way up to the stage. Hinamori smiled at him. "Looks like my destined partner is Lil' Shiro!"

Toshiro chuckled. "Yes, except this will be our second date."

•

It was like a repeat of yesterday. They both had fun, despite all eyes watching them. Hinamori followed his advice, casual clothes, eating place depending on the time, and the main place which is fun for both.

They did the photo shoot together, wearing matching couple outfits. Toshiro was wearing an icy blue shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants were of the same color, but slightly darker. Hinamori was wearing an icy blue slightly frilly dress. Her hair was down, and she had a lighter shade of blue headband.

She had passed the round with flying colors, and it was probably the first time she ever enjoined the contest. And it was all thanks to Toshiro.

"_Arigato, Lil' Shiro."_

**-End of Chapter 8-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Hai-Yes

Ee to-Um, Uh, Er, etc.

Demo-But

Honto Ni-Really

Ureshikatta-I'm so happy

Nandayo-What is it

Nani-What

Doushite-Why

Onegai-Please

Kirei-Beautiful

Ne-Right, or something used to catch someone's attention

Iie-No

Nandemonai-Nothing, Never mind, etc.

Yosh-Yes, in an informal way

•

Aw, it was sweet~! Well, tune in next time everyone! :D

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	9. Confession

Early Merry Christmas to you all :D

I've also changed the rating to T because of some certain words and just to be safe in general.

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Confession<strong>

_Previously:_

"_What?! But in two days' time the second round starts!"_

"_And where did you get that ridiculous idea from?" muttered Toshiro._

"_I'll meet you tomorrow, at your house, 12:00 PM, for your 'First Date'."_

"_Because, they might start to think: 'Oh, so she just wants me to pay for everything.' What if they start to think that you're just a selfish little brat?"_

"_Because…I don't kno-AGGHHH WHAT IS THAT?!" she screamed._

_It's been a long time…since I've been able to laugh like this. –thought Momo._

_When I meant beautiful…I was talking about you, not the lights. But I won't tell her that._

_Ichimaru walked up, with that same fox smile. "Treat me well, Rangiku-Chan~"_

_She had passed the round with flying colors, and it was probably the first time she ever enjoyed the contest. And it was all thanks to Toshiro._

•

"Ready for the final round?" Soi Fon leaned against the wall.

"…I hope I am." mumbled Hinamori.

"You do realize it's tomorrow, right?" asked Rangiku.

"Of course, I do…!"

"Us three are the girls in the lead at the moment. Me, first, Soi Fon second, and Momo-Chan third." said Rangiku.

"Hmph. I don't care about the placing." Soi Fon's sharp eyes glanced at the two girls.

"Then why bother trying?" questioned the beauty.

"Since I've already made it to the third round, there's no point not to try." replied the dark haired girl.

"I still can't believe I'm in the top three…aren't there four more girls in this last round too?" Momo looked at the two.

"Yes, there is." nodded Matsumoto.

Soi Fon stopped leaning, and made her way to the door. "Some advice- I won't go easy on you; just quit now." She flicked her hair, and walked out of the empty classroom.

Matsumoto stuck her tongue out after she left. "Sheesh! Confident much."

Hinamori giggled. "Any clue what the theme is this time?"

"Ah, the final round's theme is: how would you confess?" smiled the orange haired beauty.

"Confess…?" repeated Momo.

"That's right. I hear they'll get all last seven girls to confess to the audience."

"Is that so…?"

"Mhm, I'll see you tomorrow~!" she skipped out of the classroom.

•

"How would I confess…?" Momo was in deep thought, as she packed her books into her school bag.

A voice came from behind her, "Confess to who?"

She whirled around, and saw it was her childhood friend. "L-Lil' Shiro?! You were listening?!"

"You did say it out loud."

"…Eheheh." She scratched the back of her head.

"So? Confess?" he was curious.

"Oh…it's just the theme for the last round." The two started walking home.

"Wow. Good luck with that one." yawned Toshiro.

"I'll need it." she went back to thinking.

Hitsugaya looked at her face full of complex. "Is it really bothering you that much?"

"Yes…I've never confessed to someone before." She glanced at him. "I know! Lil' Shiro, how would YOU confess?!"

"Nani? Me?" blinked Hitsugaya.

"Hai! Please tell me!"

"Sheesh, why are you asking me…?" groaned the teenager.

"Because I don't know who else I'm supposed to ask!"

He sighed. "I'd just tell her how I felt, and that would be it."

"No, no, show me!" she tugged onto his sleeve.

"Eh?!"

"Pretend I'm the girl of your dreams, and confess to me!" ordered Momo.

"N-No way!" _How can I possibly do that, when you ARE the girl of my dreams?!_

"But Lil' Shiro!" she whined.

"I keep telling you, it's not 'Lil' Shiro', it's Toshiro!" he glared at her.

"Ah, I know! If you do this for me, I'll call you Toshiro for a month!" she grinned.

"…Not worth it."

"What?! It's only a few words you have to say!"

"And you only need to call me a name!" he argued back.

"Fine, three months!"

"Nope."

"The rest of the year!"

"Deal."

"Yatta!" cheered Momo.

"But."

"But?"

"If you accidentally call me 'Lil' Shiro' there will be punishment." He looked her in the eye, seriously.

"Huh? Punishment like what?"

He smirked. "You'll find out when you call me that ridiculous nickname."

"Aww…Li-Toshiro!"

"You nearly said it!"

"No, I meant-like! Like: 'Aww…like, Toshiro'! You know, how some people keep saying 'like' all the time…?" she lied.

"Riiiight."

…_He doesn't believe me._

_She has always been bad at lying_. "Momo."

"Hm?" She faced him.

"I like you. Go out with me."

"N-Nani?!" she gasped.

"Oi! Don't get any strange ideas! I was just doing what you told me to do!"

"Oh…Ahaha, of course!" _Phew…for a second, I thought he was serious!_

"Good grief…" muttered Toshiro.

"Matte, Toshiro!"

"Hm? Nandayo?" he glanced at the peach girl.

"When you said 'I like you', it seemed way too simple! It could be just a 'like' as in a friend! And when you said 'Go out with me' it sounded more like an order!" complained Momo.

"So?"

"I thought in confessions, the confessor is supposed to ASK the confessed, not demand it!"

"Well, if you know so much, then don't ask ME to try and CONFESS which I've NEVER done it before!" glared the ice demon.

"Fine, I'll call up the other guys then!"

"Hmph. Do whatever." He then added on, "At least I did it."

•

**Fifteen minutes later…**

"So, what did you call us out here for?" questioned the red pineapple. He looked around; they were hanging out in a children's playground.

"It's about the last theme for the pageant. And I need some help!" explained Hinamori.

"Of course, we'll help out. What do we need to do?" smiled Mr. Perfect.

"Confess your love to me!" she blurted out, determined.

"Pfft-WHAT love?!" Renji almost choked.

"Pardon, Hinamori-San?" blinked a surprised Izuru.

"Well, the theme is how you would confess. But I don't exactly know to confess to someone I like…I've never done it before. And so, I thought you guys would share with me how you'd confess!" smiled Momo.

The two boys glanced at Hitsugaya. "What'd you say?"

Toshiro sighed, and looked at the two, sharply. "I like you. Go out with me."

Renji shivered. "No way in Hell!"

Izuru sweat dropped. "I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-San, I don't feel that way towards you."

He face palmed. "I meant that's what I said to her! Why the heck would I confess to you guys?!"

"Oh." They said, dumbly.

Renji started texting on his phone. "I'll get some other guys to come help too."

"Eh? Who?" blinked Hinamori.

•

"Okay, Renji, you've got some explaining to do!" glared the bald man.

"I can't believe I'm wasting my beautiful and precious time to actually come to this filthy and childish place!" cringed the beauty freak.

"…You brought them? Out of all the people in the world, you brought the duo of idiots. Smart." groaned Toshiro.

"Wanna repeat that, kid?" Ikkaku snapped his head towards the white haired boy.

"Are those ears just for show?" yawned the 'kid' casually.

"Why you little-"

Renji stood in between them. "Enough. We just need you guys for a small while is all."

"For what, exactly?" asked Yumichika.

The red pineapple head pointed at the peach girl. "She needs to hear people confess, so she can get a good idea for the last round of the contest."

"HAH?! Confess?! Dude, I'm outta here!" Ikkaku started to walk away.

"No, Ikkaku, come back. I think this will be quite interesting." smirked Ayasegawa.

"Why the hell should I do what you say, ugly?!" he shot back.

Yumichika grabbed his bald head. "What'd you just call me?" he gave a menacing smile.

"…Uh…nothing. I think I'll stay after all."

"Good. Now, who wants to go first?" asked Kira.

No one volunteered.

"Well, since Hitsugaya-San was the one who confessed first, why don't you show the other two what you said?" smiled Kira.

"Do I have to?" mumbled Toshiro.

"Preferably."

"…" He sighed once again. "I like you. Go out with me."

Ikkaku froze. "Dude…I'm not into Boys Love or anything."

Yumichika shook his head. "No! This will not do! A being such as I, is too beautiful to go out with the likes of you!"

"…Can I kick them now?" growled Hitsugaya.

Izuru raised his hand. "I suppose I'll go next."

He instructed Momo to stand at the top of the playground's slide, which was only about a meter and a half high. She did so, and Izuru got down on one knee.

"Hinamori-San, your eyes are the color of the coffee I drink every morning, and I could stare into them forever!"

"Melodrama?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

Ikkaku and Renji cracked up laughing. "THE COFFEE YOU DRINK EVERY MORNING?!"

"OH MAN, THAT'S HILARIOUS!"

Yumichika shook his head. "No, this will not do either!"

Hinamori sweat dropped. _Really…?_

"You're smile is like the sun in my life, oh how bright it is! I live for it!"

"Is this some type of joke?" Toshiro's eyebrow started twitching.

"Hinamori-San, please consider dating me! I love you so!"

"T-Thank you, I'll consider it for sure…" she fake smiled.

Izuru stood up. "Er-Hem. Finished."

"…Kira, that was just too much." grumbled Toshiro.

Hinamori slid down the slide, and looked at the five guys. "Next?"

Renji walked up to her. "Guess I'm the only man here."

The others glared at him.

Renji suddenly snatched her wrist, and hugged her. "Momo, listen, I'm only going to say this once!"

Everyone was shocked by his movements.

He whispered. "I…I really like you. Will you go out with me?"

Hinamori blinked.

Hitsugaya shot death glares at the redhead. _How dare he touch her…!_

They then heard someone gasp. All of them turned to look.

Standing at the park entrance, was a small girl with black short hair, and dark grey eyes. She was wearing the school uniform of Karakura High.

Renji's face fell. "Oh shit…"

The girl stomped up to him. "Renji, what's the meaning of this?!"

"Uh…" he quickly pushed Momo away. "It's not what it looks like!"

"I heard those words clearly!"

"Rukia, hear me out, would you?!"

"Hm…? Is she your girlfriend?" questioned a curious Ikkaku.

"WHAT?!" they both exclaimed.

"WHO WOULD DATE THIS IDIOTIC THING?!" yelled Rukia.

"WHO WOULD DATE THIS PIPSQUEAK?!" yelled Renji.

"Anyways, I'm going to kick your ass, Renji Abarai!" She started to chase him around the place.

"W-Wait, hold on a second!"

"Well then, I guess it's my turn." Ikkaku stepped up.

"Okay…?" Momo said, unsure.

He grabbed Hinamori's shoulders. "Look, I don't care who you are, whether you're fat, ugly, or beautiful, I'll love you no matter what!"

They all froze, and stared at Ikkaku.

Ikkaku then added on, threateningly, "Now, date me, or I'll tear you to piec-"

Hitsugaya slammed him into a wall. "Speak like that to her again, and I'll kill you." His voice was icy cold.

Hinamori laughed. "Ahaha…Toshiro, I'm fine…"

"Hmph." He released the bald man.

Yumichika put one hand on his hip. "Then I'm next. Lucky last."

He lifted Hinamori's hand, and brought it to his lips. "Hinamori-San, would you like to go out with me, the most beautiful person in the whole world, Yumichika Ayasegawa?"

"Eh…?"

"My beauty will make you ten times more popular than you are now!"

Hitsugaya whacked him on the head. "Are you implying that even if you two were together, the only pretty thing would be you, not her?!"

"But of course, I am the only-"

"Die." He grabbed his collar.

"T-Toshiro, I think that's enough…!"

•

"Ohhh…so that's why." nodded Rukia.

Renji was sizzling in the corner of the playground, as the others finished explaining why he had confessed.

"Momo Hinamori, was it?" Kuchiki turned to face Momo.

"Ah, Hai!" nodded Hinamori. _Wow…Kuchiki-San is rather pretty…_

"What placing are you at the moment?"

"Ee to…third."

"Hm? Really now…"

"?"

"If you keep up your placing, you'll be versing me in the school rounds." smirked Rukia.

"WHAT?!" they all gasped.

She smiled. "I'm currently second place in the beauty pageant at Karakura High School."

"O-Oh…"

"Well, good luck to you then~" she curtsied, and grabbed Renji's collar. "Walk me home."

"Ugh…yes, yes…"

•

**Next day…**

"Next up, currently in first place, Rangiku Matsumoto!"

She stood up, and blew a kiss to the crowd.

"Now, please demonstrate your confession to us."

"With pleasure." She smirked, and grabbed the microphone. Rangiku did a sexy pose. "You know…all this time I've known you, I've loved everything about you…" She winked. "Let's exchange numbers!"

All the boy's eyes turned into love hearts, as they all shouted out their cell phone numbers.

"Rangiku-Sama, my phone number is…!"

"Please let me go out with you!"

"I'd die for you any day!"

Rangiku flicked her hair. "Too Easy."

•

"And the next contestant is Soi Fon, currently in second place!" announced Yoruichi.

Soi Fon took a step forward and calmly made her way to the microphone stand.

"Your demonstration, please."

"Of course." She disconnected the microphone off of the stand, and closed her eyes. "I've harbored these feelings for you, for such a long time. I've kept them bottled up until now, but won't you hear my confession?" she opened her eyes. "I…I like you." Soi Fon's eyes shifted to the corner, and her cheeks filled with slight color. "Please, consider dating me. I'll be waiting."

"SHE LOOKED AT ME! OH MY GOD!" screamed a fan boy.

"Soi Fon-Sama! Marry me!"

"My reply is yes!"

"Too cool~!" sighed another.

Soi Fon smirked confidently. "Hmph. Not even a challenge."

•

"Next is the new transfer student, Momo Hinamori, currently in third place!"

"Momo, go for it! Knock the judges out!" shouted Renji.

"Ganbatte, Hinamori-San!" cheered on Izuru.

"Do your best, Momo." smiled Toshiro.

"Arigato, Mina-San." She nodded. "I will start now." She took a deep breathe in.

The crowd fell silent, as all of their eyes were on her. _I'm feeling really nervous…_

Hinamori clutched onto the microphone stand. "You…I….we…" _oh no…I've completely forgotten what I was supposed to say!_

Hitsugaya gave her a worried look. _Just be yourself…_

She gulped. "I…I…"

Rangiku glanced at Hinamori. _Will she be alright?_

_I knew this was too much for her. She should've given up, like I said._ –thought Soi Fon, coldly.

Momo felt her palms getting sweaty, and her cheeks were flushing with red, the longer she stood up there._ Doushiyou? How do I confess? What should I say?_

"Hinamori-San?" Yoruichi called out to her, since she was taking quite some time.

Hinamori let go of the microphone stand.

"!" the whole crowd was alert now.

_Ah…I know…all I need to do is pretend the crowd is that special someone. I just have to be honest, and say what I would say to that special person. _She put her hand onto her heart. "My heart beats fast whenever you're around. I feel nervous when I'm caught by your glance. My face heats up when I hear your voice. What is this feeling? Is it love?" she made eye contact with the crowd.

They were all stunned.

_Momo…?_ Toshiro's eyes were glued to her. It was as if she was only speaking to him.

"I finally realize, that it all started with that small moment. Just that small moment when you called out to me. You called my name. And for thank, I'm very thankful to you." She started to feel tears brimming at her eyelids. "I...I l-like you! I-I really like y-you!" she stuttered. "Please, go out with me!" she bowed deeply, and she let the tears fall out.

_She's…crying?_ blinked Renji.

Izuru sniffed. "That was…it was brilliant."

Toshiro was completely awed.

"And that was Momo Hinamori's confession for you, folks!"

The crowd went wild.

A boy cried, "HINAMORI-SAN, THAT WAS AWESOME!"

"Momo-Sama, allow me to date you!"

"She was so cute! Too damn cute!"

"I like you too! Woot! Momo-Sama~!"

Hinamori wiped her tears. "Thank you so much, everyone!" she waved at the audience, as she moved back to her place.

•

"I would like to proudly announce the Top Three Flowers of Shino High School!" smiled Yoruichi.

Everyone went silent, eager to hear the results.

"The Flowers of Shino High School for this year are…"

All the girls held their breaths.

"Rangiku Matsumoto, in first, Momo Hinamori, in second, and Soi Fon, in third! Congratulations!"

The crowd screamed, cheered, and applauded.

"Wow, Momo-Chan! I can't believe you managed to make it into second!" Rangiku gave Momo a killer hug.

"Rangiku-San…air…I need…air…!" she pleaded, in a muffled voice.

Rangiku released her. "Oh, sorry about that!"

Soi Fon folded her arms. "Well, I must admit, I'm impressed. Momo Hinamori." She held out her hand.

Hinamori blinked.

"You're meant to shake it." Soi Fon laughed a bit.

"Ah-right!" she shook Soi Fon's hand.

"As long as it's you, I'll accept the fact that I lost. Congratulations." She then faced Rangiku. "And you managed to win again this year. Congratulations again."

"Thank you; good job on staying in the top three." smiled Rangiku.

Soi Fon's lips curved upwards. "It was nothing."

The three girls took a picture with a trophy, and were given ribbons.

Red, for Rangiku. The Charming Ribbon.

Pink for Momo. The Cute Ribbon.

Blue for Soi Fon. The Cool Ribbon.

"The three C's! This year, Shino High School's beauties will defeat the other schools, and take home the tiara to the rightful owners!" grinned Yoruichi.

The audience cheered. "Yeah!"

•

**After the event had died down…**

"Ne, Rangiku-San, Soi Fon-San?"

The two looked at Momo. "Yes?"

"Have you two heard of Karakura High School's Beauty Pageant?"

They both blinked. Matsumoto grabbed Momo's hands. "Yes, of course we have! Karakura High is Shino High's number 1 rival!"

"Eh? Rival?" Momo repeated.

Soi Fon nodded. "They're tough to beat. Our school and theirs always are the last two in the finals."

"Really?!"

"Indeed. Two years ago, they won against us, and claimed the top prize-the Tiara, as theirs. But beforehand, every year, Shino High School had always won it. But ever since we lost it, we haven't been able to claim it back." explained Soi Fon.

Rangiku nodded. "They really do play hard…"

"So, how was last year's beauty pageant finals?" asked Hinamori, curious.

Rangiku shuddered. "It was so intense, but their number one was a really big killer beauty!"

Soi Fon shook her head. "We were defeated. Tch, to think those girls would be able to beat me…!"

Momo blinked. "That bad?"

Rangiku sighed. "I bet _she'll _be the top number one again…"

"_She_?" Momo tilted her head to the side.

"Oh…you'll see."

"I've already met the girl in second place." said Momo.

"Nani?!" they looked at her.

"Hm? Why the sudden change of mood?"

Rangiku gasped. "That's brilliant Momo-Chan! This means that we can find out their flaws and such! Tell us who she is!"

Soi Fon folded her arms. "We need all the information we can get, so we can prepare ourselves."

Hinamori took out her cellphone, and showed the two a picture of Rukia beating up poor Renji. "Her name is Rukia Kuchiki. She's childhood friends with Renji."

"Renji Abarai…huh?" smirked Matsumoto.

"Eh? What's up with that smirk?"

Matsumoto winked. "I'm going to get some more information about her from him, ta ta for now~!" she left.

Soi Fon sighed. "What she really means, is that she's going to try and flirt with him, in order to get the information we need."

"Ah…"

Soi Fon slung her school bag over her shoulder. "Well, I'll be leaving now. Take care." She walked out.

Momo also packed her things, and met with Toshiro at the gate.

"Thanks for waiting, Lil-I mean, Toshiro!" waved Hinamori.

"I see that you've made friends with the Soi Fon?" asked Toshiro.

"Yes! She's actually a lot nicer than what others think!" smiled the peach girl.

"Riiight…" they started walking.

They walked home together, talking, joking, and laughing. Hinamori was also on her cell phone at the same time.

"Hey, watch where you're walking, Bed Wetter. You could get hit by a car." scolded Hitsugaya.

"Hai, Hai." She shrugged it off.

The two walked in silence, until Momo broke it.

"Hey...Toshiro?" Momo put her cellphone down, and looked at the ground.

"What is it?" Toshiro glanced at the petite girl.

"Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious.

"…What?" _the exact same words…_

She repeated it. "Would you miss me if I disappeared?"

He grabbed her wrist. "Momo, don't repeat this again."

She looked at him in the eyes. "…"

His eye moved to the cellphone in her hands. "What was on that cellphone?!"

"Eh?"

"You were looking at it all this time. Something on it must've made you think this way!" he snatched it.

"Matte-Toshiro!"

He looked at it. But there was nothing. _Damn it…am I overthinking things?_

Hinamori took it back. "Just answer the question-truthfully this time!"

"…" he fell silent.

"…Toshiro?" her face softened.

He pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered in her ear. "Don't…just don't leave me again. Please…"

She was shocked to hear his voice full of sorrow.

"I…I will really miss you if you do."

**-End of Chapter 9-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Nani-What

Hai-Yes

Yatta-I did it

Nandayo-What (Slightly different from 'Nani', could be 'what is it')

Ee to-Um, Uh, Eh, Erm, etc.

Arigato-Thank you

Mina-San-Everyone (Formal)

Doushiyou-What should I do

Ne-Right, or Hey (Can be used to catch people's attention)

Matte-Wait

•

Well, that's the end for this chapter. Here comes the next one~

(If you're not a RenRuki supporter, then I'm sorry for that small moment in there. I don't mind Rukia with other people, like IchiRuki, but for some reason, I find it easier to write RenRuki…)

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	10. Past And Present

Double Update, because it's nearly Christmas!

Think of it as a Christmas present~! ;D

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Past and Present<strong>

_Previously:_

"_Some advice- I won't go easy on you; just quit now." She flicked her hair, and walked out of the empty classroom._

"_If you accidentally call me 'Lil' Shiro' there will be punishment." He looked her in the eye, seriously._

"_I like you. Go out with me."_

"_Confess your love to me!" she blurted out, determined._

_Rukia smiled. "I'm currently second place in the beauty pageant at Karakura High School."_

"_Rangiku Matsumoto, in first, Momo Hinamori, in second, and Soi Fon, in third! Congratulations!"_

_Matsumoto grabbed Momo's hands. "Yes, of course we have! Karakura High is Shino High's number 1 rival!"_

"_Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious._

"…_What?" the exact same words…_

_He pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered in her ear. "Don't…just don't leave me again. Please…"_

"_I…I will really miss you if you do."_

•

Hinamori hugged herself. "He…he said that he'd miss me if I disappeared! He really said it!" her cheeks tinged with pink. _I don't know why, but I'm really happy to hear that! But…why didn't he tell me the truth all those years ago when I asked him? Maybe it's because this time he has already experienced my abandonment…_

She lied on her bed, and stared at the phone on her desk.

_~Flashback~_

_Ring…Ring…Ring…_

"_Hello, this is the Hinamori Residence?" said Momo, politely._

"_Momo, is that you?"_

"_Ah-Grandpa! It's been such a long time! What have you called up for?"_

"_Is everything alright? Living by yourself?"_

"_Yes, everything's fine! How's everything over there?"_

"…_It's not going so well."_

"_Hm?"_

"_Momo, please come back home! Your Uncle…he…"_

_Her eyes widened. No…no way…!_

_At sunset…_

"_Lil' Shiro!"_

"_Stop calling me that! It's just Toshiro not 'Lil' Shiro'!" the small boy said, annoyed._

"_But Lil' Shiro is Lil' Shiro..." replied the young girl with dark hair. He glared at her._

"_Lil' Shiro do you want some watermelon or not? They're in season right now!"_

"_Ok ok!"_

_They happily ate the juicy watermelon together and watched the sun start to set._

"_Hey...Lil' Shiro?" Momo put her watermelon down and looked at the ground._

"_What now?!" Toshiro continued to munch away at the melon._

"_Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious._

"_No." He answered fast._

"_WHAT?! Why?!"_

"_Because if you were gone...Munch...then I wouldn't be called Lil' Shiro all the time! Munch Munch..."_

"_I'm serious Lil' Shiro!"_

"_Hmph! I'm not gonna answer that! Besides I doubt that you would ever disappear!" he spat out the seeds at Momo._

_She quickly moved her arm up to her face to block it. "Cut that out! Lil' Shiro!"_

"_So he wouldn't miss me after all…" She looked at her luggage. "Time to go…"_

_~End Of Flashback~_

Hinamori snapped out of thought. _Ugh, that was all in the past! Don't bring it up again!_ She shook her head. _But…if I keep remembering all of those every day…aren't I still living in the past…?_

•

Toshiro sighed. "What was she thinking…? That Momo…making me worry for nothing."

"_I…I will really miss you if you do."_

"_Toshiro…?"_

_He pulled away from the hug, and wouldn't face her after that._

"_Don't worry, I won't move away again. I promise." She whispered._

Hitsugaya froze. "Hold on a second…I know I don't know where she had disappeared to…but, I never asked her where she had come from either…maybe she went back to the place where she was born! Geez, I'm such an idiot…" he messed up his hair.

_Momo…you're like a complete stranger to me. I thought I knew everything about you, and you knew everything about me…but…why does it suddenly feel like I don't know you at all?_

He looked at himself in the mirror. "You're my friend, aren't you? Shouldn't I know these things? After all, Friends are…"

_Friends are people you laugh and have fun with._

"…What?" he blinked._ Why'd that line suddenly come into my head? …Who said that to me?_

He furrowed his eyebrows, as he struggled to remember. "Could it have been…Momo?" And it suddenly all came back to him.

•

It was a nice sunny weekend. Where children played in the streets, with other fellow children. Everyone was happy; all of them enjoying themselves. But one. One always sat in the same place. At the bottom of the big tree in the park. A child of white hair, always sat there by himself, without anyone to talk to.

He buried his face into his arms which were leaning on top of his knees.

"Why are you crying?" asked a sweet voice.

He looked up. "I'm not crying…"

"Psst! Momo, come back, don't talk to him…" whispered some children. "He's a cursed child…you'll get into trouble if you're near him!"

She ignored them. "You don't have any friends to play with?"

He shook his head. "Friends…?"

"Yes! Friends are people you laugh and have fun with!"

"…No. No one wants to be my friend…"

"Why?" she blinked, innocently.

_This girl asks too many questions…_ "I don't know. Maybe it's my hair color…I don't know. They all just say I'm a bad child…"

"I don't think it's true!" She sat down next to him.

"…Huh?" he glanced at the innocent girl.

"I don't think you're a bad child at all! I'm talking to you, and you seem like a good person!" she replied, cheerfully.

"Eh…I don't even know who you are…" he muttered under his breath.

"Oh, I'm Momo Hinamori! I recently moved here! What's your name?"

"…Toshiro." He mumbled.

"Sorry, what?" she leaned towards him more.

"My name…it's Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Nice to meet you, Toshiro!"

"…"

"Heheh, you're meant to say, 'it's nice to meet you too'!"

"…It's nice to meet you too?" he repeated.

She nodded. "Like that!"

"…Why are you still talking to me?"

"Because I'm your friend!"

"!" He looked at her small face. She had a bright friendly smile. One that anyone could trust.

"I'll be your first friend, Toshiro!"

"Why? Momo, I just don't understand." He shook his head. _You say you want to be friends, and then you leave me?_ He chuckled. _I really don't get you._

He gazed out at the starry night sky. _You suddenly appeared like a shooting star, and the days that followed were like that of a dream…but just like the stars disappears at daylight, you disappeared from my eyes, only to return again on that one fateful night. You really know how to shine at your brightest, don't you, Momo?_

•

**After all the schools versed one another in the beauty pageant, there were only two schools left. Karakura VS Shino. The day has finally arrived…**

"It's finally here. This is the day we've prepared for, girls!" smirked Rangiku.

"We'll see whose better. I won't lose so easily to them." Soi Fon glared at the other school.

"Let's do our best, Mina-San!" smiled Momo.

The MC of Karakura smirked. It was Ichigo's homeroom teacher, Misato Ochi. "We'd like to introduce our top three girls of Karakura High School! In third place is…"

"Tatsuki Aizawa!"

The short dark haired girl stepped forward, and gave a wave to the audience of two schools. "Hello, everyone!"

Renji scowled. "Nope, definitely not my type."

Izuru fake smiled. "I wonder how a tomboy like her got in. Karakura's standards must have really dropped."

Toshiro laughed. "We'll see."

Yoruichi glared at Karakura's MC. _We all know who's MC is better…it's obviously me, Shino High School's MC! I'll just have to top her. _"I'd like to introduce Shino High School's top three flowers! Our third place is none other than the Ice Princess, Soi Fon!"

Soi Fon stepped forward, confidently. "You have no chance against me. Please make a wise choice."

Tatsuki grinned. "Oh? If I recall, last year, you were second place! Now, you're dropped to third place? I sure pity you!"

Soi Fon put one hand on her hip. "Oh? If I recall, last year, you weren't even IN the top three. I pity Karakura's standards for 'top beauties'." She shot back.

"Yeah! You show her, Soi Fon-Sama!" screamed her fan club. "You're the best, and we know it!"

Karakura's MC cleared her throat. "Er-Hem! Next, we have our second place, the lovely Rukia Kuchiki!"

Rukia curtsied. "Nice to see you're all doing well!"

Renji choked. "What's lovely about her?!"

"Rukia, you're as super cute as always~!" sighed Keigo Asano.

"Sheesh, you've really got to shut that mouth of yours." muttered a tall teenager with orange hair.

Renji and the orange haired boy made eye contact.

"RENJI?!"

"ICHIGO?!"

Izuru glanced at Ichigo. "You know him?"

Renji nodded. "Yeah…he's that guy who always hangs around Rukia…"

"No, Rukia is the one who always hangs around ME." replied Ichigo.

The redhead rolled his eyes.

Toshiro kept his turquoise eyes on the 'perfect' girl, Rukia. "…Looks like she'll be a tough opponent."

Yoruichi flashed her brightest smile. "Of course, Shino High School's second place is even better than Miss Kuchiki-our cute recent transfer student, and in second place, Momo Hinamori!"

Hinamori stood up. "I'm new to this; please treat me well." she bowed.

Even the Karakura boys had to admit she was cute. "Darn…that Hinamori chick's a real cutey, but Rukia is in our school…"

Renji yelled out, "YEAH, MOMO! BEAT THAT SHORTY!"

Rukia death glared at Renji.

Ichigo yelled out, "C'MON RUKIA, SHOW SHINO HIGH WHAT WE'VE GOT!"

Rukia smirked confidently at Ichigo.

Izuru folded his arms. "Hmm, looks like the second place battle will be a good one!"

The Kuchiki stomped her foot on the ground. "Hinamori-San! I'll tell you this, don't think I'll go easy on you!"

Hinamori stayed calm, and fake smiled. "I never expected nor asked you to."

"…Didn't say I warned you." She turned her back on her.

"Kuchiki-San?"

"What is it?" Rukia slightly turned to face her.

"I can guarantee one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"Karakura's defeat." Hinamori turned her back on Rukia, and walked back to the rest.

"MOMO-SAMA, YOUR WORDS ARE FULL OF TRUTH!"

"Beat that Karakura girl!"

"Yeah! Knock her out of her socks!"

_Tch…! Acting cool like that! Hinamori, you'll regret saying that! _Rukia folded her arms, and tried to stay calm. _And what's with Shino High's fan clubs?! Where is MY fan club to cheer me on?!_ She looked around, and caught them waving signs. _…I guess they're just not as loud._

"May I have everyone's attention for Karakura's number one?!" said the MC enthusiastically.

The crowd cheered, and screamed. "Yeah! Karakura! Karakura! Karakura!"

"I introduce, Orihime Inoue!"

A girl with silky orange hair, with a bubbly personality stepped before them. "I'm Orihime, nice to meet ya!"

"Orihime~! You're my princess!"

"Orihime! Orihime! Orihime!"

Yoruichi tapped her foot, waiting for silence. After the crowd settled down, she raised her voice. "Shino High School's first place tops all women here, winner of last year's beauty pageant, and a charming girl, no man can take their eyes off of her, Rangiku Matsumoto!"

Shino's crowd went berserk. Karakura's crowd of boys gaped, not only was Rangiku's looks were amazing, even her bust size was bigger!

"Rangiku-Sama, honor me with your smile!"

"Rangiku-Sama, please give me your autograph!"

"Look this way!"

Renji punched the air with his fist. "Rangiku, show em up!"

Izuru clapped. "Overall, it looks like our school has better appearance than Karakura's this year round."

"That Orihime girl looks as if she's no match for Rangiku, but she's acting completely fine." Mumbled Toshiro.

Half of the Karakura boys, couldn't help but cheer on Rangiku as well.

One wolf whistled, "Wow, what a hottie!"

"Matsumoto-San, grace us with a kiss!"

Rangiku smirked, and blew a kiss to the crowd. "Continue to cheer me on!" she winked.

Some guys even fainted.

The winner of Shino High's beauty pageant pointed at Orihime. "Scared yet, Orihime? Half of your side, has had a change of heart, and turned to me."

Orihime smiled. "No, not at all! I'm more excited to go against you again!"

"The end result won't turn out the same." Matsumoto's grey eyes narrowed.

"Oh? I think it will! You can count on that!" Inoue smiled.

"Let's face it; we all know who the real queen here is. You only managed to win last year, because of some fans. But since I've just halved down your fans, you are at a disadvantage."

"Say what you will~!" she giggled.

"We'll see who comes out as the winner this time…"

**-End of Chapter 10-**

* * *

><p>And that's all for now~ Until next time!<p>

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	11. You

Late chapter, I know, sorry D:

Thank you to all of you who have reviewed: **skylark dragonstar****, squirtlepokemon215, ****Lisa****, ****starninja3395****, ****My Heart Stained Blue, ****SoulreaperRukia ****, ****rhetorically yours ****, ****Michiko Burel****, ****hailey-shiro, SuPeRsPaCy2000****, ****x1999kamui ****, ****Vicky-chan16****, ****HitsuHinalover****, ****Animevy116**** and ****Floodlight-Zhou**

Thanks to the people who have added this story to their favorite & alerts list: **Akida Umichi, Animevy116, Anser's Shadow, Bloodstained Black Cat, Dita-chan, FrostedCherriii1328, Furryfuzzy, HitsuHinalover, Hyourinmaru10, Michiko Burel, SuPeRsPaCy2000, TiaT, Tsuki-chama, Vicky-chan16, animecybil, m r s. g, squirtlepokemon215, starninja3395, x1999kamui, xREax, xxAndromeda and yamiorihime, Chibi-Chibi x3, Floodlight-Zhou, Fukuko-chan, Hitsuhina fanatic, Lost's Chained Wings, ShakeItOutNow, Xela-Pie, animecybil, mysteri0s, rhetorically yours, skylark dragonstar, vicious2021 and xXxMusicNCookiesxXx.**

Also, I have published a new HitsuHina fanfic, sequel to my Momoiro no Hana oneshot. It's called Reitou no Hana~ Hope you guys read it :)

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: You<strong>

_Previously:_

_Hinamori snapped out of thought. Ugh, that was all in the past! Don't bring it up again! She shook her head. But…if I keep remembering all of those every day…aren't I still living in the past…?_

_He looked at himself in the mirror. "You're my friend, aren't you? Shouldn't I know these things? After all, Friends are…"_

"_Why are you crying?" asked a sweet voice._

"_Yes! Friends are people you laugh and have fun with!"_

"…_Why are you still talking to me?"_

"_Because I'm your friend!"_

"_!" He looked at her small face. She had a bright friendly smile. One that anyone could trust._

"_I'll be your first friend, Toshiro!"_

"_It's finally here. This is the day we've prepared for, girls!" smirked Rangiku._

"_We'll see who comes out as the winner this time…"_

•

"Wow, the scores are surprising…not too bad!" smiled Izuru, as he looked at the Karakura VS Shino scoreboard.

"So far, so good." nodded Toshiro.

Rangiku was beating Orihime by miles, Hinamori was slightly before Rukia, and Soi Fon was also way ahead of Tatsuki.

"Alright, we will now take a short break!" announced Yoruichi.

Tatsuki punched the table. "I don't understand! Why is that Soi Fon girl so much better than me?! I mean, she's flatter than me, and her personality is ridiculously cruel!"

Rukia was sitting on a cheap chair, placed at the table. "Calm down, Tatsuki. This is only the first half. We still have another half to go." She then added on, as she remembered Momo's words, "And we'll be the ones who come up on top!"

The two girls glanced at their number 1. Orihime was skipping around the room. "I'm so excited! I'm so excited!"

"Uh…Orihime, shouldn't you be a tad more concerned? Or participate in our conversation, at least?" the two mumbled.

"Hm? Oh, sorry! I wasn't listening! I was thinking about my dinner tonight, teehee~!" she giggled.

"I'm concerned." murmured Tatsuki.

"I assure you, I feel the same way." murmured Rukia.

Rangiku sat on the table in the Shino High School Break room, as she kicked her legs. "Haha! This is too easy!"

"Rangiku-San, don't say that! Getting ahead of ourselves isn't very good…" said Hinamori, innocently. She was getting a drink of water.

"Please, we've got this competition in the bag." Soi Fon leaned against the wall. "Our opponents are falling behind. We've only got the second half left." She started to neaten up her plaits.

Matsumoto motioned for the two to come in, and they did. She leaned in, and whispered, "Girls, I was listening to some Karakura boys chatting about the second half. Apparently, it's quite a unique activity."

"Unique activity?" Hinamori whispered back.

The orange-haired beauty nodded. "I heard that it's about roses."

"Roses…?" Soi Fon raised an eyebrow.

"You choose a colored rose from a bouquet, and with the color you chose, you must pick out an outfit from the wardrobe they supply us, and you must choose a scenery."

"Like a photo shoot?" asked Soi Fon.

"Bingo! Exactly like that!" grinned Rangiku. "But, it's a team effort."

"Eh? Team effort?" blinked Hinamori.

"That's right. Us three, all have to choose different colors, but somehow still look picture perfect, and in place, you catching my drift here?"

"But don't we all choose different backgrounds each?"

"No, we all have to choose one together. And we have to pose with our colored roses." Rangiku leaned back. "Sounds easy, doesn't it?"

"Indeed…are you sure that's all to it?" Soi Fon put a hand to her chin, in thought.

Rangiku shrugged. "That's all I've heard. There might be more. Oh, by the way, there's one color rose you can't choose."

"?" the two looked at her.

"Red. Because each member of the audience will have one red rose, and if they like you, they will throw the rose in your direction. Whoever receives the most roses, well, gets the highest score-and I think that will determine the winner." explained Rangiku.

"So, we're practically asking the audience to bury us in a pile of roses..." muttered Soi Fon.

"Hehe, you could put it in that way~!" laughed Rangiku.

•

Soi Fon glanced at the bouquet. The choice was decided in a split second. She took the yellow rose, and walked back to her spot.

Hinamori hesitated a little, but as she was deciding on the rose, she saw Toshiro smiling reassuringly at her. She decided to go with the white rose.

Rangiku picked the orange rose, confidently smirking.

Orihime chose the pink rose, as she kept giggling to herself.

Rukia decided to go for the black rose.

And Tatsuki wanted the blue rose.

Rangiku snickered.

"What's so funny?!" glared Rukia.

"Hahaha! I can't believe how low Karakura is! Your selection in color…those roses definitely don't complement each other! Ahahaha!"

Rukia was about to protest, but Orihime started laughing too. "Orihime?! Why are you laughing too?! She's mocking us!"

"Heehee, it's because we've got this rose thingy sorted~!"

Rangiku stopped laughing. "Oh?"

"We can just choose a rainbow colored background!" Orihime jumped into the air.

The whole crowd was looking at her as if she was crazy.

Ichigo_-No way…Inoue, that'd make things a LOT worse!_

Renji_-Ha, that chick's crazy._

Toshiro_-*Face wall*_

Izuru_-…Why did I think unicorns when she said rainbow?_

The number one flower of Shino flicked her hair. "Whatever."

Tatsuki was shaking her fist at Rangiku, Rangiku turned, and poked her tongue out. "Please, little girl, you're just jealous of these!" Rangiku cupped her breasts.

Tatsuki felt her face redden from embarrassment. "What?! No, yours are just inhuman size! Mine's decent!"

Rukia seemed to be crying in a corner. "She's right, I'm as flat as a surfboard…!"

"Um…are you alright, Kuchiki-San?" asked Momo, gently.

"I don't want your pity!" cried Rukia.

"Mattaku…these girls." groaned Ichigo.

Yoruichi was about to mention that her breasts were worth bragging, but then Misato quickly interrupted. "Well, girls, we will now ask you why you chose that color."

Yoruichi clicked her fingers, _Oh no she didn't!_

Soi Fon replied, "Because yellow is my favorite color. And a yellow rose means to 'break up'."

Momo replied, "White? Well…" she glanced at Toshiro. "It reminds me of a very special person…"

"HINAMORI-SAMA, I HOPE YOU MEAN ME!" cried a fan boy.

"She meant me, jerk!"

"No, me!"

Hitsugaya chuckled. _We all know who she means. Unless if Ukitake counts, but I'm pretty sure it's not…_

Matsumoto smiled brightly, "I chose orange because it's the color of my favorite fruit-dried persimmons! Not to mention, it reminds me of the setting sun, which is very romantic~" she winked.

Inoue grinned, "Pink is very pinky, and it makes me feel warm and fluffy!"

Renji swore he was going to face plant.

Rukia went next, "Originally, I was going to go for pink for Chappy Bunnies, but Orihime already took it. So, I chose black, because it's the same color as my hair."

Tatsuki put a finger to her chin, "Why blue? Actually…I don't know. Just because it was there, I suppose! Ehehe!" she did a boyish laugh.

"And with that, girls, please go behind the curtains and check out the outfits in the wardrobes!"

•

"Hehe, girls, what do you think of this?!" Rangiku pulled out an orange outfit.

"Rejected." muttered Soi Fon, straight away.

"Nani?! Doushite?!" Rangiku questioned.

Hinamori covered her eyes. "It's a bit…too revealing…"

"Hmph! I think it's completely fine!"

"No, it really isn't…" they both mumbled.

"Hah? You want to see revealing? Then take a look at-"

"DON'T TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF!" shouted Soi Fon, at the top of her lungs.

"EEK! RANGIKU-SAN, DON'T SHOW US THAT!" Momo yelped.

"HEY, AT LEAST I DIDN'T TAKE MY BRA OFF!" yelled Rangiku.

The audience, which were mostly boys, couldn't help but blush at the conversation, seeing as how they were very loud.

"…Matsumoto!" growled Toshiro.

"SHINO HIGH GIRLS, PLEASE QUIETEN YOUR VOICES!" yelled Misato.

"Gomen!" they quickly went back to picking a dress.

•

**Minutes later…**

Orihime skipped down the catwalk, in her fluffy pink dress. "I'm so fluffy, I'm so fluffy~!"

"Seriously, how did that girl win last year?" said Soi Fon, coldly.

"Rangiku-San, it's your turn!" cheered Momo.

Rangiku seemed like she was a professional model, as she showed off her outfit. It was a peachy orange dress; it was strapless, and just below the knees. It was basically a summer type dress.

Next, were the girls running in second. Rukia strolled down the catwalk with her elegant ebony dress. It seemed to fit her perfectly.

Hinamori took a deep breath in, and was advised by Soi Fon, not to trip. She cautiously walked down the catwalk, but with each step, she felt a little more confident. Her snow dress swayed with each movement, and it had ribbon straps. It was layered, like petals of a white camellia, and she had a translucent white shawl to go with the dress. And of course, all the girls had their designated rose in their hair.

Hitsugaya was in awe. His eyes were glued to Hinamori, and wouldn't leave her, until she went behind the curtain.

"Let's face it, dude, you dig Momo." elbowed Renji.

"Urusai!" Hitsugaya folded his arms.

Tatsuki was wearing a long dark blue dress, which showed off her back and curves.

Soi Fon's entrance seemed to dazzle everyone. She was wearing a golden yellow dress, one that definitely suited her tastes. From the looks of it, it looked like a rich and special dress, but nonetheless, one that seemed to only fit Soi Fon.

**Moments passed…**

The photo shoot was going to start, so the 6 girls were pondering over which background they would choose. Like Orihime said, the Karakura team ended up choosing a rainbow background, after much debating. Whereas the Shino team chose a pastel flower garden background, which very much looked good with the outfits.

Yoruichi smiled, "Now, Karakura team, what was your theme when you decided on this…unique background?"

Orihime shouted happily, "COLORFUL!"

"Okay…lovely. Now, what about the wonderful Shino team? It's not like I'm picking favorites…!"

Soi Fon replied, "A Secret Rose Garden."

"SOI FON-SAMA, THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CHOICE!"

"I'D GO WITH YOU TO THAT SECRET ROSE GARDEN ANY DAY!"

"SOI FON-SAMA, YOU SHOULD DATE ME!"

Misato announced, "And we have our professional photographer, and his assistant."

Shunsui Kyoraku, and Nanao Ise.

"Huh? Isn't Nanao a teacher at our school?" blinked Izuru.

"I think she's helping the photographer out, or that's her part time job." mumbled Toshiro.

"YOLO!" grinned Kyoraku.

"Wasn't that saying annoyingly popular, last year?" muttered Renji.

"Eh? What's YOLO?" questioned Hinamori.

Nanao adjusted her glasses. "You Only Live Once, I believe."

Kyoraku smiled. "Okay, now turn this way a little! Yes, you stand here, and ooh, yeah, I'm liking it!"

_-click- -click- -click- -picture- -picture taken- -picture- -pic, okay you get the point, Kyoraku went picture crazy-_

•

The pictures were soon posted on noticeboards, just for decoration, and students threw roses at the girls they liked the best.

Oh, what do you know? Shino High School got the most roses at their feet.

"Yes!" Hinamori jumped up into the air, cheerfully, as she high-fived Soi Fon & Rangiku.

"We did it!" grinned Rangiku.

"Now, there's only one more." smirked Soi Fon.

"One more?" Hinamori paused.

The two girls nodded. "You're new to this, so you don't know. But in the second half of the contest, there's only two activities. We finished one, so now we're going to move onto the next one. And the last one is always the hardest."

"Hardest?"

Soi Fon explained, "It's always 'Express Your Feelings'-that's the name of the activity. They give us props, and we have to express our feelings to the 'prop', depending on the theme they give us."

"What was it last year?" asked Momo.

Rangiku groaned. "Last year, the 'prop' was a random guy from god knows where. The theme was angry, so we had to fully rage onto him about something."

"And?"

Soi Fon laughed. "I kept abusing him, saying how useless and stupid he was."

Rangiku then added, "That's also how we lost."

"Well, what about you then, Rangiku-San?"

"…I complained to him about how he wouldn't carry all my shopping bags."

"…And that's it?"

"That's it! Shopping is a big part of a woman's life!" said Rangiku.

Momo sighed. _So this is how they lost._ "Wait, but even if we fail this round, won't we still win because of the other events?"

"Nope."

"No."

"Nani?" Momo looked at them.

"Of course, that's how it would normally work, but…" Soi Fon trailed off, as she glanced at Karakura's Team.

"The actual event begins here. This last round is all that matters." whispered Rangiku.

"Then what was the point in all those other activities?!" Momo felt as if she had been trying hard for nothing.

"Those are important too-the reason we do those activities is to get the audience to like us! But this last round…they're bringing in three judges, and the audience still gets to vote of course, but in the end, the final say are the judges." explained Rangiku.

"I see…this will be tough…" Momo was deep in thought.

"Ha! But don't sweat it!" Rangiku patted Hinamori on the back. "Everything will be fine! After all, you do have us!"

Soi Fon stood next to Momo. "Matsumoto's right. But the ones we need to be careful of are Kuchiki & Inoue."

"Why them?" questioned Momo.

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed. "They may not look it, but those two are surprisingly well at acting."

_Let's hope we can pass this time around…!_

•

"The prop for this year's last round is a cellphone!" Yoruichi held up a plain white cellphone. "Listen up well contestants, as soon as you turn the cellphone on, you will hear a male's voice that has been recorded onto the phone for exactly this event. The male will always say the same things, and you have to express your feelings about how you feel about this guy and his talk."

Misato then added on, "In other words, this is not a real cellphone, it is actually a voice recorder in disguise, so you can hear his voice. Based on the way you act, will be judged by the lovely judges over there!" she pointed to a table with three people.

Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, and Jushiro Ukitake.

Rukia gasped. _Brother has come to watch my performance! I must definitely not fail him, because I know he'll be giving me high points!_

Matsumoto sighed. _Gin again…?_

"This time, there is no designated order. It is just who wants to go first." stated the MC.

Rangiku grinned, "Well, if that's the case, I'll go first!" She swiped the cell out of the MC's hand, and pressed it to her ear, while pushing the button. "Hello?"

The male's voice started talking, as soon as she clicked the button. "Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

The staff made sure that the audience can also hear the voice of the male. Hinamori, Soi Fon, and Matsumoto immediately caught onto what the theme was: Sad feelings from the heart.

"Sorry? For what?" Matsumoto spat.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

She paused, as she thought about this. Rangiku put her hand over her mouth, and sniffled. "Yes, I'm sorry as well, it was also partly my fault. Forgive me…you deserve the second chance, because I…I…"

The whole crowd was silent, they were al entranced with Rangiku's acting.

"I love you."

"Tha-"

She interrupted the recording. "But only if you carry my shopping bags!"

Renji, Izuru & Hitsugaya face palmed. "What is that girl doing…?"

The judges gave their scores. Byakuya: 3/10, Gin: 10/10, Jushiro: 6/10. 19 in total.

Rangiku was going to pull the finger at Byakuya, but she was ushered off the stage for the next person-Tatsuki.

_I'm confident I can do this!_ Tatsuki nodded, and took the phone off Rangiku; she pushed the button, took a deep breath in, and listened.

"Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

"You're…apologizing to me?" blinked Tatsuki.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

"Yes, I agree! I'll give you another chance, because I believe every person deserves another chance!" smiled Tatsuki. Did I do that right?

"That's what I like about you."

Her face flushed red. "W-WHAT?!" and she hung up, from embarrassment.

The judges gave their scores. Byakuya: 4/10, Gin: 5/10, Jushiro: 7/10. 16 in total.

Orihime bounced onto the stage. "Tatsuki, Tatsuki, pass it here!"

Tatsuki threw it at her, and Orihime just managed to catch it. JUST. She pushed the button and put the phone to her ear. "Mushi mushi?"

"Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

"Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

…_Did she really just repeat the words?_ –thought nearly every person in the audience.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

"Heehee, your voice sounds funny~!" she giggled.

…_How DID she win last year, anyways?_ –Hitsugaya knew everyone else had exactly the same thought.

"Just kidding! Can I restart?" Orihime smiled angelically.

Yoruichi was about to protest, but Misato quickly butted in. "Of course, Orihime."

She re-pushed the button. "Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

"…!" Orihime let a small gasp escape her lips. She had a soft sad look on her face, and she made it look as if she was about to cry. "Daisuke-Kun…"

_Did she make up that name on the spot?_ –thought Ichigo.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

She sniffed, and blinked tears away from her eyes. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize, I understand. Daisuke-Kun, please, don't worry about me anymore, everything is okay. You can do whatever you want, because I'm happy as long as you're happy."

"That's what I like about you."

Orihime blushed slightly, and closed her eyes. "You'll always be right here." She put her hand over her heart. "You'll always be in my heart, forever." She then couldn't hear anything else, so she hung up.

The judges gave their scores. Byakuya: 7/10, Gin: 6/10, Jushiro: 10/10. 23 in total.

"She scored high…" mumbled Rangiku, annoyed. "Higher than me."

Orihime giggled, and skipped off the stage, while secretly poking her tongue out, at Rangiku.

"Oh, it is ON!" Matsumoto shook her fist at the ditsy girl. "Soi Fon, knock her out!"

Soi Fon sighed, and took the plain cellphone into her hands. She pressed the button, and tucked her hair behind her ear to place the cellphone there. "Nande?"

"Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

"Do you really think I care?" she replied, bored.

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to go too well…?" Izuru's shoulders dropped.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

Soi Fon scoffed. "_You_, want to know what _I_ have to say? Okay, I'll grant you the honor of telling you then. I think you're stupid, and that you should man up! What type of man goes around asking for apologies regarding everything?! If you really want to apologize, you would've come up to me in person, gotten down on your two knees, and begged for your life! Do you really think I'd accept a ridiculous apology over the phone?! How much of a life do you need?! You see, I have better things to do, than to waste my time on imbeciles like yourse-"

The phone hung up automatically, since Soi Fon had been ranting on for too long. Soi Fon angrily spammed the button over and over again. "Did I give you permission to hang up?! Did I say that I was finished?! You lousy-"

The judges cleared their throats, and gave their scores. Byakuya: 1.5/10, Gin: 10/10, Jushiro: 5/10. 16.5 in total.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "You gave her 10/10, Ichimaru?"

Ichimaru laughed. "I found it really amusing!"

Soi Fon walked back to the back of the stage. "It's just you, Hinamori, and that Kuchiki left. Good luck."

Momo frowned. She couldn't tell if these two weren't trying, or if they're just that bad at acting out the required theme. The peach was about to step up, and take the phone, but she noticed Rukia was confidently walking up to it already, so she decided to let her go first.

_Watch me, Brother!_ Rukia put the phone to her ear. "Hello, Rukia Kuchiki speaking."

"Look, I don't know how many times I've told you this before, but…I'm sorry…"

"R-Really…?" Rukia seemed to be really into the act, it was almost natural. The whole crowd was taken in.

"Sorry, for everything I did. I know, I shouldn't have done that, but I…please, just understand. All I'm asking for is another chance. What do you say?"

"I don't know if I can fully accept your apology, but deep down inside, I know that the words you speak are the truth. Just this one last time, I will give you another chance. But if you let this last chance go…My heart may…m-may break…!" Rukia fell to her knees, and started to fake cry. "Please, don't make me go through it again, these feelings I have for you…they haven't faded a day!"

"That's what I like about you."

Rukia pretended to blush. "T-Thank you…but I like everything about you."

Then she hung up.

The judges gave their scores. Byakuya: 7/10, Gin: 8/10, Jushiro: 10/10. 25 in total.

"Holy-25 POINTS!" Rangiku gasped. "Hinamori, it's all up to you! No pressure, right?!" Matsumoto hugged Hinamori.

"H-Hai…" groaned Hinamori.

Kuchiki smiled, and headed backstage. She held her hand out, for Hinamori to receive the phone, but instead of giving it to her, Rukia forcefully dropped it on to the hard floor. Everyone heard the sound of the cellphone crack and shatter.

"What's going on back there?" the MCs went to check, and saw the broken prop. "Oh no! What happened?!"

Hinamori gasped. _She just broke the phone on purpose, so I wouldn't have a chance…!_

Rukia blinked, and glanced at Hinamori. "Oh, Hinamori…I thought you had taken it from my hand."

Rangiku put her hands on her hips. "You dirty liar! Momo-Chan hadn't even reached out for it!"

Soi Fon glared at Rukia. "You can't fool my eyes."

"You don't have any proof!" Rukia folded her arms.

"Can someone tell us what's going on…?" mumbled the crowd. They could see the girls talking, but they couldn't see what was going on.

Toshiro, Renji, Izuru, and Ichigo all saw the shattered parts of the prop on the ground. "Hey, that's…"

"I told you, I didn't do it!" Rukia claimed, as she shook her head.

The whole audience could hear the conversation now, and fell silent to listen in.

"We saw you drop it, on purpose!" Matsumoto stamped her foot.

"You're the liars! You're trying to pin the blame on me, so I'll get disqualified!" Rukia glared at her.

"…One of them is lying." Hitsugaya noted, as his eyes narrowed. _And I bet that it's Kuchiki._

Hinamori stood in between the two, her eyes hidden underneath her fringe. "Stop it, both of you."

The two girls stopped arguing, and looked at her.

The peach girl then smiled at the MCs. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. You see, Kuchiki-San was about to give me the prop, but then after I grabbed it, it slipped out of my hand." Momo bowed respectfully. "My deepest apologies for my clumsiness."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. _What? No, I can tell that it wasn't Hinamori! What is she…?_

"Well…it's alright I suppose…" forgave Yoruichi.

"No, it's not! What will she use now? A banana instead?" said Misato.

Matsumoto glanced at Hinamori. "Momo-Chan, I know that you-"

Rukia folded her arms. "She already admitted it, nothing more you can do."

"Tch…! You just shut your mouth!" Rangiku glared at the petite girl.

"Hmph!" Rukia strolled away, secretly smiling to herself.

_Doushiyou? I…I don't know what to do! There's no spare prop for me to use, because a regular cellphone wouldn't have a recording! Have I failed my team…? _Hinamori glanced around nervously, as the MCs argued about what they should do.

"Oi, Momo Hinamori!" a unfamiliar voice called out to her.

"Eh?' She turned and saw an orange-haired boy waving his hand at her, standing in the audience. She had heard of him before, Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Catch!" he threw something across the crowd and Hinamori quickly ran forward to catch it. It was a sleek black phone with a few orange stripes. She blinked, confused as to why he gave her his cellphone, but flipped the device open anyways.

There was a message there. **'Your pals and I all know what really happened. Use this to call someone so you still have a chance for the contest.'**

Hinamori suddenly knew what to do. She smiled, and mouthed the words to Ichigo, "Thank you!" and walked towards the center of the stage.

The MCs noticed her walking, and stopped arguing. They quickly went back to their positions. "And lucky last, is Momo Hinamori! Give her a round of applause please!"

The audience clapped, and focused their attention on her.

She inhaled, and then exhaled. _Here goes!_ She dialed a number into the phone, and held her breath.

•

"Hmm...I wonder who Hinamori's calling." Hitsugaya sat back into his chair.

"Uh…am I going crazy, or do I hear vibrating?" said Renji, as he fished through his pockets for his red cellphone.

"Might be mine…" Izuru opened his bag, and tried to find his cellphone.

The two found it, but saw that their phones weren't the vibrating ones. They glanced at Hitsugaya. "I think it's yours."

Hitsugaya pointed to himself. "Me? Nah, can't be. No one ever contacts my cellphone number."

But the vibrating wouldn't stop.

"…Never hurts to check, I guess." He took out his phone, flipped the shiny blue device open, and checked the screen.

**[Calling: Unknown Number]** Toshiro raised an eyebrow, and picked up the phone. "Toshiro Hitsugaya."

A familiar gentle voice which rang through his ears came from the cellphone. "Hello?"

•

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." said the voice from the other end.

"Hello?"

"Momo? Is that you?"

Hinamori nodded, and smiled. "It feels a bit strange talking to you on the phone, but I'm glad you picked up."

"Yeah. You wanted to talk with me?"

"I…I want to apologize, Toshiro." Her voice softened, and the look in her eyes turned sorrow.

"Apologize for what?"

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I am so sorry, that even words can't explain how sorry I am."

"Momo…"

"But, I'm not expecting forgiveness."

"?"

"I just wanted to let you know, that I was a fool, back then." She wiped away some tears. But they weren't fake. They were very real. "A fool who ran away from problems because I couldn't solve them. A fool for leaving her best friend behind. A fool for not saying goodbye."

"Momo, stop it."

"But now, I promise you, Toshiro, that even though I was stupid back then, that was in the past. I've learnt to move on, and I hope you understand what I mean." She looked up, at the ceiling. "I made a promise to myself that I won't leave you again. I'll stay by your side, I'll be your support, and I'll be your friend, as long as you'll accept this fool again."

"Hahaha, is that all you wanted to say?" chuckled Hitsugaya.

"You're a good person, Toshiro."

"Huh?"

"You're a very good person, Toshiro." Momo repeated, smiling this time.

"Pfft, no I'm not…I always mess everything up." Hitsugaya ruffled his hair a bit, as he remembered the time when he said he wouldn't miss her. "I make too many mistakes, so many, it gets harder to fix. I always make the wrong decisions, and I always say the wrong things. There's nothing good about me."

"Don't worry about it."

"…Huh?"

"Daijobu! It's okay to mess up. And it's okay to make mistakes. Because if you never make a mistake in life, how will you learn?"

Hitsugaya laughed again. "You're right, Momo. Thank you for being such a supportive friend."

"Anytime!" she smiled widely.

"You know what? I've known this for a while now, but I think it's better if I tell you. I only need your smile to continue living my everyday life." Hitsugaya had a gentle expression on his face, as he continued to talk to Hinamori.

Hinamori blushed. "T-T-Toshiro…there's so many things I…I want to say to you, and it pains me to keep it bottled up, but…I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"…The truth."

"Even so, I'll be waiting for the day you tell me the truth. Just remember, that I'll always be there to listen."

Hinamori felt tears fall down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but some more spilled out. "Toshiro…arigato gozaimasu…"

"Douitashimashite." He smiled.

"I wish you were with me, so I can tell you directly how much you mean to me." She whispered.

"Nani?"

"That's all. Thank you for chatting with me, goodbye." She slowly and regrettably hung up.

Hitsugaya also hung up.

Hinamori closed the black cellphone, and look at the audience. They were silent, and were staring at her. A few more seconds passed, and suddenly the hall had burst into applause.

"Bravo! That was beautiful!"

"That's my Hinamori-Sama!" grinned a fanboy.

"It felt so…so real!" cried another.

Hinamori felt like crying again, because of all they crowd's support, but she managed to hold back the tears. "Thank you, everyone!"

After the applause died down, the judges gave their scores. Byakuya: 9.5/10, Gin: 10/10, Jushiro: 10/10. 29.5 in total.

Karakura Team gasped. "We…lost?!"

Hinamori was amazed. "I did it…I really did it!"

Confetti was thrown into the air, and victory music played. Rangiku glomped Hinamori. "OH EM GEE! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

Soi Fon lightly patted her on the back. "Job well done, Hinamori."

"Hai, arigato!"

Yoruichi then presented the trophy, and prize to the girls. "Congratulations to Shino High!"

•

"Rukia, I can't believe you'd stoop so low, as to do that." Ichigo looked at her in the eye.

"…So?"

"Apologize to her. She took the blame willingly; don't you think she at least deserves an apology?" Ichigo pressed on.

Rukia sighed. "You're right…"

She then saw the whole Shino group and staff start to head inside a bus to travel back to Shino High School. The petite girl swiftly ran after Momo, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hinamori-San."

Hinamori turned. "Ah, it's you, Kuchiki-San. Did you need something from me?"

"…I just want to say I'm sorry about the whole prop thing, and congratulations on winning the prize for Shino."

"No problem, and thanks!" she smiled at her.

Rukia offered her hand.

"Huh? Why are you giving me your hand?" blinked Hinamori.

Kuchiki then grabbed Hinamori's hand and clasped their hands together, and shook her hand.

_Even if we were rivals, rivals can sometimes turn into friends too._

**-End of Chapter 11-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Nani-What

Doushite-Why

Nande-What

Gomen-Sorry

Daijobu-Are you okay? Or Don't worry.

Hai-Yes

Arigato-Thank you

Arigato Gozaimasu-Thank you very much

•

Thank you for reading~!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	12. Will You Be My Dance Partner?

Here is the 12th Chapter :)

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Will You Be My Dance Partner?<strong>

_Previously:_

"_Let's face it, dude, you dig Momo." elbowed Renji._

"_Urusai!" Hitsugaya folded his arms._

…_How DID she win last year, anyways? –Hitsugaya knew everyone else had exactly the same thought._

_Kuchiki smiled, and headed backstage. She held her hand out, for Hinamori to receive the phone, but instead of giving it to her, Rukia forcefully dropped it on to the hard floor. Everyone heard the sound of the cellphone crack and shatter._

"_I just wanted to let you know, that I was a fool, back then." She wiped away some tears. But they weren't fake. They were very real. "A fool who ran away from problems because I couldn't solve them. A fool for leaving her best friend behind. A fool for not saying goodbye."_

"_Momo, stop it."_

"_But now, I promise you, Toshiro, that even though I was stupid back then, that was in the past. I've learnt to move on, and I hope you understand what I mean." She looked up, at the ceiling. "I made a promise to myself that I won't leave you again. I'll stay by your side, I'll be your support, and I'll be your friend, as long as you'll accept this fool again."_

_Yoruichi then presented the trophy, and prize to the girls. "Congratulations to Shino High!"_

•

"Hinamori-San, I'm a huge fan of yours, and I wanted to let you know that I…I'm in love with you! Please go out with me!" a fellow classmate bowed.

Momo blinked. "Oh…I'm sorry, but I barely know you…"

"It's okay, you can get to know me! Please say yes!"

She smiled at him. "Unfortunately, there's already someone else. I'm very sorry, but hearing you say that you love me…made me very happy."

The boy blushed, and ran away before letting her see him cry.

Hinamori sighed. _Since that competition…_

"That's the ninth one this week." smirked Toshiro.

"Shiro-Chan!" she turned around, and saw him leaning on the fence of the rooftop.

"I told you, it's not 'Shiro-Chan', it's Toshiro." He sighed.

"Anyways, you've been counting?" she looked at him.

"You could say that."

"Hmm…why?" she asked, curiously.

The bell rang, signaling lunch was over. "No reason."

The two started to walk back to class together. Then, something caught Hinamori's eye. "Ehh?!"

"Nani?" Hitsugaya turned to face her.

"There's a school dance in two days?!" gasped Hinamori.

"Oh…that." He quickly shifted his gaze to the floor. _Shoot…she found out._

"Shiro-Chan, if you knew about this, why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"Uh…because…"

"Because?" she leaned closer.

He blushed, and turned his head away. "I just didn't want to go to the dance, sheesh!"

"Then you don't have to go. I'll go!" she sang.

"…You're not pressuring me into going?"

"No, why would I?" she asked, innocently.

He coughed. "I remember all those times where you never had a partner, and you always forced me to-"

She interrupted. "Okay, okay, I got it!"

"Anyways, you can't go." He put his hands into his pocket.

"Huh? Why can't I go?" she folded her arms.

"Look." He pointed to the poster. "It says you have to have a partner to enter."

"…"

"And if you hadn't figured it out yet, a lot of boys are asking you to be their girlfriend so they could have you as their dance partner."

"…"

"Why so quiet, Hinamori?"

"Shiro-Chan…Doushiyou?! I need a partner!" she grabbed his hand, and started to shake it like a little kid.

"…Don't look at me with those teary eyes. I can't do anything about it!" he avoided her cute look.

"Shiro-Chan, please?"

"Hinamori, we just had this conversation…I'm not going to the dance."

"Shiro-Chan!"

"..." He started to walk away. "We're going to be late for class, if you don't hurry up."

"Shiro-Chan!" she walked after him.

"What?"

"Dance?"

"No." he sped up.

"Please?" she sped up.

"Never."

"Why?"

"I don't like dancing."

"But you're great at it!"

"Betsuni." He muttered.

"But you're the one who taught ME to dance!"

"I don't care."

"Shiro-Chan…"

"…I'm not going."

"Fine, I won't talk to you anymore then!"

"What-Hinamori?!"

"Hmph!" She walked past him into the classroom.

He sighed. "She needs to grow up…"

•

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, late for class, I see." Nanao adjusted her glasses.

"Hah…Momo was late too."

"Yes, but Hinamori is an excellent student, so I will overlook it this time."

"Then why can't you overlook me?" he muttered.

"Go stand out in the hallway!"

He sighed. "Hai, Hai."

•

It was halfway through the lesson already, and he was still standing outside in the corridor.

Hinamori opened the door, and walked past him. Obviously she was sent out to do a job for the teacher.

After five minutes passed, Hinamori walked past him again, this time with papers in her hands.

"Oi."

She paused, and looked at him.

"…Are you ignoring me?"

"Dance."

"No."

"…"

"…"

She hit him on the head, and walked into the classroom. "Sensei, here are the papers."

Hitsugaya rubbed his head. "Why is she so stubborn…?"

•

"Yo! You guys going to the dance?" questioned Renji, after school.

Izuru laughed. "I would, but I don't have a partner."

Rangiku groaned. "I am…"

"Why are you so down? I was expecting YOU to be the most excited about this dance, Matsumoto." said Izuru.

She sighed. "I'm forced to go with Gin."

"Hah…you mean that super weird student teacher?" asked Renji.

"Yep. Him. We're sort of like childhood friends."

Renji smirked. "Well, I'm going."

"And who's your partner?" questioned Izuru.

"…I'm sneaking in. Care to join?"

Izuru laughed. "I suppose the rules can be bent sometimes. I'm in."

Hinamori smiled. "I'd prefer to have an actual partner, rather than sneaking in."

"Ooh, like who, Hinamori?" Rangiku elbowed her.

"Haha, no one yet." She glared at Hitsugaya.

He avoided her glare. "What's so great about the school dance anyways?"

Renji & Izuru looked at him as if he were crazy. "Dude, you get to hold girls' hands!"

"…Typical guys." Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"Eh? I thought you'd be Hinamori's partner." said Rangiku.

"I don't dance."

"Or is it that you can't?" teased Izuru.

"I can. I just don't."

"Haha, suuuure you can."

"Whatever."

Rangiku spotted Soi Fon leaving the building, and called for her to come over. The Ice Princess walked over to the group. "What is it?"

Matsumoto grinned, "Are you going to the dance?"

"No." it was an immediate answer.

"Why not?!"

"Because there's no suitable partner." She said.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Or is it you can't dance?" Hinamori laughed.

"…Fine, that too." Soi Fon admitted, quietly.

"WHAT?! YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T DANCE?!" everyone was quite surprised to hear this.

"So, who cares?"

"I can teach you." said a voice from behind her.

Everyone froze. Soi Fon turned around slowly, and saw it was Vice Chairman Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Oh…why hello there, V-Vice Chairman…" Renji waved, as he laughed awkwardly.

Nearly everyone was afraid of the Vice Chairman-except for Soi Fon & Hitsugaya.

"Teach her to dance?" questioned the snowball.

"There are dancing lessons held in the school hall every day after school. It only started last week, when the School Dance was announced, then I decided to open up a small temporary club for students who wish to learn."

"Psst! Mr. Kuchiki looks like a cool and calm guy, but on the inside, he's actually really passionate!" whispered Izuru.

"Then why aren't you in the hall right now?" Soi Fon questioned.

"I heard a commotion over someone not knowing how to dance, and thought I might as well suggest it."

"…Well okay then. I'll go." Soi Fon started walking over to the hall. "Anyone else not know how to dance?"

Renji sighed. "That's me." He tagged along to the hall. "Does anyone actually go to this club…?"

Byakuya nodded. "Yes, there are quite a bit."

When those three had left, Izuru then continued the conversation. "By the way, did you guys know that Karakura High will also be joining our dance?"

"What?! It's a joint dance?!" gasped Rangiku.

"Yeah, so we'll see the others there." nodded Izuru. "Oh, not to mention it's practically a Masked ball."

"I see…more of a reason for me to not go." muttered Toshiro.

"…" Hinamori stood on Hitsugaya's foot.

"Ouch!" he knelt down, and held his foot.

"Hmph!" she walked ahead of him.

"Ooh, I think Hinamori REALLY wants you to be her partner, Toshiro!" laughed Rangiku.

"Tch…yeah right." He continued walking.

•

"Hinamori-Sama, please, won't you be my dance partner?!" asked a fan boy.

"Haha, I'm sorry…" she flashed an apologetic smile at him.

"Then what about me, Hinamori-Sama?!"

"And me?!"

Tons of boys wanted to be Momo's partner for the dance.

"I don't get it, why don't you just say yes to one of them, and problem solved?" sighed Toshiro. The two were walking home together, as usual.

"Because I don't want fan boys as my partner."

"Then partner up with Izuru or Renji."

"But Renji can't dance well, and I don't want to partner up with Izuru."

"Then you might as well not go at all."

"Shiro-Chan, why can't you be my partner?!" she glared at him.

"I told you before, Momo. I won't go."

The stubborn peach stood in front of him, and wouldn't let him pass.

"…"

"…"

"What can I do to make you be my dance partner, Shiro-Chan?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Stop calling me Shiro-Chan…" he mumbled.

"If I stop, will you be my dance partner?!" she smiled, excitedly.

"No. I was telling you to stop calling me Shiro-Chan in general; I wasn't saying that's what you have to do."

"Then what do I have to do?"

"You can't do anything."

"Yes I can! I can do everything!"

"Sure, Momo. Sure you can."

"Well, what is it then, Lil' Shiro?"

"…You'll do anything?"

"Hai!"

"_Anything?_"

"Yes, ANYTHING."

"…" _I like you, Momo…no, I can't tell her that._ "Uh…forget it."

"Eh? Nani? You had an idea, didn't you?"

"Betsuni…" he looked to the side.

She moved her head, so that her brown eyes were looking directly into his turquoise ones. "Uso! Usotsuki!"

"Tch…Nandemonai…" He walked pass her.

"Shiro-Chan!" she grabbed his hand.

"!" Toshiro couldn't help but blush a little. "Hina-"

"Tell me!"

"I-Iie…" he hesitated.

"Oshiete Kudasai yo!"

He sighed, and whispered quietly, "Be mine."

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that…?" Hinamori leaned closer.

…_That tears it. I can't hold it back any longer._ Hitsugaya pulled onto her hand, bringing her closer, and he placed his lips onto hers.

Hinamori's eyes widened. She was so shocked. _T-T-T-Toshiro?!_ She could feel her heart beat pounding against her rib cage, and her cheeks were reddening.

The white-haired boy pulled away from the gentle kiss first, and looked at her in the eyes. "I'll be your dance partner, if you be my girlfriend."

Momo just stared at him, as if what he just said was in some sort of ancient language.

"…Momo?"

"Are…Are you serious?" she blinked.

"You said _anything_, sheesh." He continued walking again.

She walked after him. "Yes, but I definitely wasn't expecting…something like that!"

"So, that's a 'no' then?" he didn't turn around.

"I never said that…I think I just need some time."

"Take as long as you want."

"Matte, Shiro-Chan…" she left the sentence hanging.

"Nande?" He turned slightly.

"D-Does that mean…you l-like m-m-me?" she stammered, while blushing. The two had reached Hinamori's house by now.

"…" Hitsugaya flicked Hinamori's forehead. "What do you think, Nomo?"

Hinamori just remembered that when she was younger, Toshiro would call her 'Nomo' instead of 'Momo', because sometimes she was too 'slow' or 'stupid'. "I…I don't know what to think…"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, put his hand on her head, and kissed her forehead lightly. "I wouldn't want you to be my girlfriend if I didn't like you."

And with that, he waved, and headed back to his own house; leaving a dumbfounded Momo standing in front of her house, pondering over what just happened.

**-End of Chapter 11-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Urusai-Be quiet, you're too loud, shut up etc.

Nani-What

Betsuni-Not really

Hai-Yes

Sensei-Teacher

Uso-Lie/Lies

Usotsuki-Liar

Nandemonai-It's nothing, never mind etc.

Oshiete Kudasai yo-Please tell me

Matte-Wait, hold on etc.

Nande-In a way, it's like 'what is it?'

•

And that was chapter 12, folks! They finally kissed ;D

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	13. Behind The Mask

13th chappy :o

The other person who shares this account with me (Inoki) is quite a fan of ByaSoi and GgioSoi, so there's a couple hints here and there~

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Behind The Mask<strong>

_Previously:_

"_There's a school dance in two days?!" gasped Hinamori._

"…_I'm sneaking in. Care to join?"_

"_There are dancing lessons held in the school hall every day after school. It only started last week, when the School Dance was announced, then I decided to open up a small temporary club for students who wish to learn."_

_When those three had left, Izuru then continued the conversation. "By the way, did you guys know that Karakura High will also be joining our dance?"_

"_Yeah, so we'll see the others there." nodded Izuru. "Oh, not to mention it's practically a Masked ball."_

…_That tears it. I can't hold it back any longer. Hitsugaya pulled onto her hand, bringing her closer, and he placed his lips onto hers._

_The white-haired boy pulled away from the gentle kiss first, and looked at her in the eyes. "I'll be your dance partner, if you be my girlfriend."_

•

From then on, Hinamori couldn't help but avoid her childhood friend.

Hitsugaya folded his arms. "Strange…I get the feeling she's avoiding me."

He then recalled this morning, when they were supposed to walk to school together, she quickly rushed off saying she had to be somewhere. Toshiro noticed Hinamori walking down the school corridor with Rangiku.

"Hey, Hinamor-"

"Hi, Hitsugaya-Kun! Bye!" the peach grabbed Matsumoto's arm, and fast-walked away.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "Did she just call me Hitsugaya-Kun?" _Now that's rare._

•

"…Okay, Momo, there's obviously something up." Rangiku confronted her.

"Hm? What are you talking about, Rangiku-San?" Hinamori flashed a fake smile.

"Oh, don't you pretend you don't know! You're obviously avoiding Toshiro." She put her hands on her hips.

"Uh…what?" Hinamori tilted her head to the side.

"Hinamori!" Rangiku collapsed onto her chair.

Momo simply shrugged.

"Oh, Momo." sighed the top beauty.

"Hai?"

"Momo, Momo, Momo…"

"Nani?" she blinked.

"Could it be…Toshiro said something to you?" Rangiku looked at her cute friend in the corner of her eye.

Hinamori flinched, and shook her hair madly. "Of course not! He didn't say anything! We haven't talked at all!"

"Okay, that's an obvious lie. What'd he say?!"

"B-Betsuni…!"

Rangiku pressed on. "Could it have been involved with something like…love?"

An imaginary arrow stabbed right through Hinamori's head. "IIE! LOVE?! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Ooh, looks like I hit a bulls-eye." grinned her mature friend. "So? Care to share?"

Hinamori's shoulders sagged, and she leaned on her desk. "I pestered him to be my dance partner yesterday. Over, and over, and over again."

"And…?"

"I was getting desperate, so I told him I'd do anything…then he…he…he…" Hinamori's face turned a deep red as she remembered the kiss. "A-Anyways, he told me that he'd be my dance partner if I…"

"If you?" Rangiku was ultra-curious now.

"If I became his…"

"His?"

Hinamori leaned down, and whispered quietly, "His girlfriend."

Matsumoto gasped. "Legit?!"

"Yes…" Hinamori tried to get her to quiet down.

"Oh em gee! What did you say?!" she nudged her.

"I…have been avoiding him."

"Well, that's a disappointment." She sighed.

"Eh?"

"I totally support you guys!" Matsumoto slapped Hinamori across the back. "Go for it! You two make a cute couple!"

"Demo…"

"Why are you hesitating?" Rangiku blinked.

"You see…I've never really thought of him in that way…"

"You're going to turn him down?!" Rangiku was taken aback.

"No, I never said that! I…" Hinamori lowered her gaze. "I'm just scared that our relationship as best friends will never be the same if we were to break up…"

"Momo…"

"Tomokaku, class is starting!" Hinamori quickly took out her books, and tried to avoid the subject for the rest of the day.

•

Hinamori fiddled around with her mechanical pencil, thinking of what she should do. _I know…why don't I just not tell Toshiro my answer, so I don't have to be his girlfriend, and he doesn't have to be my dance partner? Yeah…I'll do that. But then how will I get into the dance…? _She paused, and suddenly remembered what Renji said._ '…I'm sneaking in. Care to join?' _A smirk formed on her lips. _Of course! I can just sneak in with Renji and Izuru!_

Momo then quickly scribbled a note down to herself. _**ASK RENJI AND IZURU ABOUT MASQUERADE.**_

•

_One day left…_ Toshiro put a hand to his chin in thought. _Tomorrow night is the masked ball, joint together with Karakura. _He observed Hinamori for a while_. She seems distracted by something on her mind… _He watched her for a bit longer, and laughed to himself_. I bet she's thinking about the whole dance partner thing. _He then saw her scribble something down. _And it seems she has come to a conclusion…_

•

The day seemed to pass by fast, and Hinamori ran over to Renji and Izuru after classes had finished. "Kira-Kun, Abarai-Kun!" she waved at them enthusiastically.

"What's up?" the two looked at her.

"You two are sneaking into the dance, right?" asked Hinamori.

"That's right." Izuru nodded.

"I was just wondering…if I could join too?"

Renji blinked. "Seriously?"

"Hai!" she smiled at them.

"For real?" Renji found it hard to believe for some reason.

"Hai!"

"I thought you said you'd rather have a partner?" Izuru questioned.

"Yes, but I couldn't find a 'suitable' partner, as Soi Fon puts it." She laughed.

"Well, if that's the case, then sure!" smiled Izuru.

"Really?! You two will really let me tag along?!" she asked, excitedly.

Renji chuckled. "Can't reject a friend in need!"

•

It was the day of the ball, and immediately after school, Matsumoto rushed Hinamori out to the mall with Soi Fon.

"Eh…what are we all doing?" questioned the peach.

"You'll see, just be patient!" Rangiku was texting on her phone. "Ah, here we go…"

"?"

Rukia Kuchiki tapped Hinamori on the shoulder, and smiled at her. "Good to see you again, Hinamori. It's been a while."

"Rukia-San!" Hinamori blinked. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

Soi Fon examined her long plaits. "Isn't it obvious? All four of us are going to go dress shopping."

"Honto?!" the peach blinked.

"Yes, now let's get cracking, girls!"

•

Soi Fon decided on a pale pink dress, with a white rose pin on it as decoration. She also bought a golden necklace, and started to wonder how she should do her hair.

Matsumoto bought a scarlet red long dress, which showed quite a bit of cleavage. She then bought a ruby necklace to match with her color.

Rukia was still choosing out dresses, and trying to find some for herself, and Momo. After a few more indecisive minutes, Rukia chose to go with a purple dress, that well-fitted her style. It wasn't a too light purple, or too dark. And she got a matching hair clip, to clip her hair back into a sort of ponytail.

Hinamori was the last to decide, as she finally found a dress that she wanted. She chose a light sky blue dress, which included a shawl. She looked at herself in a mirror, and put her hair into an up-do.

All the four girls looked equally beautiful in their own different ways. After purchasing the dresses and accessories, Rukia lead the girls to a mask store.

"Here, we'll buy our masks. It's recommended you try to get the same color mask as your dress, so it looks better." Rukia advised.

And with that, the girls tried their best to find a matching mask.

"Found one!" Rangiku grinned, as she pulled out a red mask, which only covered half of her face. "Ooh, it's stylish…I like it!" she immediately bought it.

Rukia smiled. "I think I'll stick with this one." She picked out a black-purple mask that covered one eye area.

Momo found it a bit difficult to find a suiting mask at first, but then she saw a unique white-blue one, and thought she must buy it. It was the perfect color, and it covered both the two eye areas.

Soi Fon was stuck. "Which mask…?" she started to puzzle over which mask would suit her best.

The other three girls tried to help Soi Fon by finding a suitable mask for her, but couldn't find one that looked good with her pink dress. Rukia then asked the shopkeeper, and he quickly scurried into the storage room, as he rummaged through boxes of masks. In a few moments, he reappeared, and opened a box, which revealed a pastel pink mask.

"It's…quite girly." Soi Fon frowned.

"Then why choose a pink dress?" questioned Rukia.

"…Never mind. I'll take that mask." She paid, and the girls left the stores.

"That was a great shopping session, ladies! Now, there's two hours left until the dance starts, so we've all got plenty of time to prep ourselves up. Ciao!" Matsumoto winked, and waved.

Everyone then went back home to their places to prepare for the party.

•

Rangiku Matsumoto sighed. "Toshiro, you don't know what you're missing out on."

Hitsugaya really didn't care. He felt like hanging up the phone, but he decided to listen. "What am I missing out on?"

"Momo in a dress…she looks gorgeous!"

"Yeah…do you think I care?"

"Um…yes?"

"Well, then, you're wrong." He replied, coldly.

"Look, Toshiro, just come to the dance! She's waiting for your arrival."

"I keep telling you, N.O."

"What?! But…can't you just imagine Hinamori _holding_ other boys' hands?"

Hitsugaya froze, as he imagined other men holding Momo's hands.

"And they could easily take advantage of such an innocent girl like Momo…" Rangiku added.

"…Bye." Hitsugaya hung up on the phone, and opened his wardrobe. _Looks like I'm going to have to go anyways…and no, it's not out of jealousy…!_

•

"Wow, the food here is delicious!" Hinamori bit into some fancy cooked meat.

"I agree 100%!" Renji grabbed piles and piles of food from the buffet.

"I'm impressed with everything…" Izuru looked around. It looked more like a royal ball than a dance party. "Imagine all the funds spent on this event…"

Ichigo slapped Renji on the back, which made the redhead choke. "Haha, if I were you, I'd loosen up on the food a bit, Renji! Or else you'll get fat, ahaha!"

Renji glared at Ichigo. "Oh…I forgot _you_ were here."

"Love you too, Renji."

The redhead cringed, and pointed at him. "ANYWAYS, who's your partner?! I bet you sneaked in here, didn't you?!"

He blinked. "No way, I'm not like you. Remember…my partner is Rukia."

Rukia stood by Ichigo's side, and Renji was immensely amazed at her beauty. "…Is that seriously you, Rukia?"

She slapped him across the face. "Who else?!"

Hinamori giggled. "You guys are so funny."

"Hey, Hinamori, where's Toshiro?" questioned Ichigo.

"Eh? Oh, he's not coming."

"I was sure he'd be your partner." Ichigo puzzled.

"No, he hates dancing." She flashed a smile, then continued eating. She noticed Rangiku quickly run away from her partner, Gin Ichimaru, to their table.

"Hinamori…I need a drink."

"?"

"He wears me out too much…" she groaned, as Hinamori gave her a glass of water.

The silver haired man approached their table. "Mind if I joined?"

Izuru looked around nervously, then nodded. "Uh…sure."

Soon, the whole group was sitting together on one large table. And by group, I mean Ichigo, Renji, Izuru, Gin, Momo, Rangiku, Rukia, Soi Fon, Orihime, and even Ikkaku & Yumichika.

"Er-hem! Ladies and Gentlemen, you may now start dancing." announced the chairman of Shino High, Yamamoto.

The music started playing, but no one dared to be the first to go onto the dance floor.

Gin smirked. "Rangiku, you know how to waltz, right?"

"Yes, why…?" she gave him a suspicious look.

He took her hand, and led her to the center of the hall. "Shall we dance?"

"Gin?!" she flustered-which was a rare sight. _This is so embarrassing! Why did we have to be the first ones to dance?!_

"Haha, you're so cute, Rangiku." Gin teased.

"You're a joke!" she glared at him, as he laughed.

Momo sighed. "Those two look good together…"

Izuru also sighed. "I want to dance too…" as he watched more people dance.

Renji shrugged. "I don't. I just want to eat."

"Hm…?" Ichigo grinned. "Well then, Renji…I'll just be waltzing with Rukia." He took her pale hand, and quickly walked over to the dance floor.

Renji gaped, and slammed his hands onto the table. "That guy…going off with Rukia like that…oh, it is on!" He grabbed Orihime's hand, and kept trying to swap partners with Ichigo.

Soi Fon fiddled with her mask. "I knew it. Dances really are boring after all…"

A man then bowed in front of her. "Soi Fon, may I have this dance?"

She blinked, and looked at the man. Even though he was wearing a mask, she could tell by his hair that it was Vice Chairman Byakuya Kuchiki. "Me…and you?"

He smirked under that mask, and nodded. "Of course. I don't see why not. Do you?"

The Ice Princess smiled slightly. "Fine, so be it." She put her hand in his, and the two got into position.

Ikkaku whistled. "I think Kuchiki has a thing for Soi Fon here."

Yumichika frowned. "Ew, I do not wish to touch other people's hands! You don't know where they've been!"

Ikkaku raised an eyebrow. "No one cares, Yumichika. It's just dancing."

"Oh, please! I can't let anyone touch my beautiful perfect hands!" he ran a hand through his hair.

The bald man then grabbed Yumichika's hands, and started to _dance_ with him. "Ah, look…I just touched your hands."

"IKKAKU, YOU ARE DEAD! HOW DARE YOU!" Yumichika was furious.

Izuru and Momo laughed, because it was awkward seeing two guys waltzing together. Especially with all the weird looks they were getting.

•

Hitsugaya arrived at the dance hall just as the waltz had finished. He then heard the next announcement, "The next dance is a different dance where you…"

He ignored the announcement, and scanned the crowd, trying to search for Momo. It was a lot harder, since he could only see a lot of masked people. He saw everyone getting into position for the dance. It seemed to be one where you had to swap partners after a certain amount of dancing time.

Hinamori was about to take Kira's hand, as you are supposed to start the dance holding hands, but then someone else grabbed her petite hand, and pushed Kira to the next person.

"Am I late?" the cool voice said.

Momo blinked, as she stared at her new partner. _It can't be…but that white hair is unmistakable!_ "S-Shiro-Chan?!"

"It was hard to recognize you at first, but wow…you look great, Momo." He smiled.

Hinamori was suddenly glad she was wearing a mask, mainly because it covered her blush. "Arigato…"

"Too bad you've got a mask on though. I'd rather like to see your face." His turquoise eyes were staring right into her chocolate ones.

She then remembered that Toshiro liked her, and avoided eye contact nervously, as he started to lead in the dance. "Ee to...Shiro-Chan?"

"Nande?" he flicked her a glance.

"Well, since you're dancing with me…does that mean I have to be your…?"

He laughed. "Nope."

"How come?" she blinked.

"Because I came here by choice."

"Actually…why _are_ you here?"

"Change of heart, I guess." He shrugged.

She smiled. _I'm glad you're here, Toshiro._

•

"Aww~!" Rangiku watched Hinamori & Hitsugaya dance together. "Aren't they just the cutest, Gin?"

"Other than you, yes." said the fox.

All of a sudden, she felt like hitting him. "That's not funny, Gin. You should stop playing with girls' hearts."

"Who ever said…I was playing around?" he pulled her closer.

"What are you-"

"What if…I said…" Gin whispered in her ear quietly, "…That I was serious?"

•

"Toshiro?" Hinamori tilted her head to the side.

"What is it now?"

"We've been dancing for quite a while now."

"Problem?"

"No, it's just that…how come we haven't been switching partners?" Momo looked around, and saw that everyone else kept switching partners except for them.

"Well…" The truth was, Hitsugaya would push the guy who was supposed to be with Momo next, to the next person, so that he could stay with Momo. "Let's just say, I never want to let go of your hand."

"Why's that?" she blinked, clueless.

_Sometimes I curse her slowness..._ "Because I don't like seeing you with other guys…it just annoys me."

_Is he…jealous?_ Her cheeks turned red, and she couldn't look him in the eye. "O-Oh…"

He chuckled, and caressed her. "Momo…I hope you don't forget my feelings for you."

•

"It seems I have to move on to the next partner now." Byakuya mumbled.

Soi Fon nodded. "Indeed. Well then, I'll see you later."

He gave her a quick smile, and moved onto the next. Soi Fon couldn't help but laugh a bit, when she heard the girl next to her say, "You're kidding…I'm dancing with the Vice Chairman?!"

"What's so funny?" her new partner asked.

"Oh…Nandemonai." She looked at him. It was a young male, with tanned skin, dark black hair and cunning yellow eyes.

He leaned closer to her. "Oh? I bet you look better without the mask."

She blushed slightly, and shifted her eyes to look anywhere but directly at him. "Is…Is that so?"

He smirked. "You've piqued my interest. What's your name?"

"Isn't it common courtesy to introduce yourself first?"

"Haha, I've always liked women with attitude…the name's Ggio Vega. And you?"

"…Soi Fon. I'm from Shino High School."

He lowered his voice, "Ah…you see, I'm not from Shino or Karakura."

"What? You mean you sneaked in here?" she blinked.

Ggio flicked her forehead. "Bingo! Looks like you've got brains too, even better."

She rubbed her forehead, while glaring at him. "Then, where are you from, _intruder_?"

"I wouldn't exactly call myself an intruder…I'm just an uninvited guest."

She rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Answer the question."

"Espada High."

"A private school?" she was a tad surprised.

"That's right. You can brag to your friends about me later." He grinned.

Even though she was blushing, she was still annoyed. _Tch…this guy…_

•

The circle of dance continued rotating, and Renji & Ichigo elbowed Toshiro. "Hey, what do you think you're doing man?"

Toshiro glanced at them. "Dancing."

Ichigo laughed. "C'mon, you haven't switched partners at all!"

Hitsugaya shrugged. "She doesn't mind."

Hinamori blushed more, and the two guys just accepted the fact that Toshiro obviously liked Hinamori.

The music stopped playing, and the partners bowed to each other, signifying the end of this dance. Now, it was the Viennese Waltz. And everyone went back to their original partner.

Gin strolled up to Rangiku. "I'm back, Rangiku~ Did you miss me?"

She sighed. "Yes, very…"

"I'm so happy to hear you say that." He took her hands, and got into position.

The orange haired beauty mumbled under her breath, "…It was sarcasm."

Rukia smiled at Ichigo. "I'm surprised at how well you can dance."

"Well, I'm not a complete stranger to dance." He replied, while leading her.

"Hey, don't get cocky, strawberry! I'm obviously better!" Renji glared at the main protagonist of Bleach.

"Whatever you say, Renji." Ichigo brushed it off, while Rukia laughed at the two. And Renji & Ichigo both knew they were thinking the same thing, _'Her smile…I could look at it forever.'_

Ggio winked at Soi Fon. "Too bad we have to split now. I'll see you around, Soi Fon." He waved, and left.

She also waved, but only for a small amount of time. Byakuya calmly re-approached her. "Who was that?"

"Oh, just some guy called Ggio Vega." She replied.

Byakuya paused. "Ggio Vega…he's from Espada?"

She blinked. "How did you know?"

"I believe he's one of the top ten students there…" Byakuya held her hands, and started to dance. "If I were you, I wouldn't get too close to him."

"?"

"It's nothing…but for tonight…" he pulled her closer to him.

"What is it?" she looked up at him.

"Don't think of anyone else but me."

"Hah…?" she raised an eyebrow.

Byakuya smirked. "Remember those dancing lessons? Always keep your eyes on me."

Hitsugaya pulled Hinamori's wrist, as she spun into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Being in a position like this…makes me not want to let you go."

She could feel her heartbeat rate fasten. "T-Toshiro, we have to follow the dance moves…!"

"No, we don't. It's not like anyone actually cares." He smirked mischievously.

Momo sighed. _He's right…_

Toshiro pecked her on the cheek and chuckled. "You're adorable, Bed wetter Momo."

"!" She put her hand over her cheek, as she felt even more flustered than before. "Shiro-Chan!"

That night was definitely a romantic night of dance…❤

**-End of Chapter 13-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Hai-Yes

Nani-What

Iie-No

Betsuni-Not really

Honto-Really

Arigato-Thank you

Ee to-Um…/uh…

Nande-What is it

Nandemonai-Nothing/never mind

•

Hmm…I've always been torn between RenRuki and IchiRuki. *Shrugs* Oh well~

By the way, I'm thinking of ending this fanfiction by the 15th chapter :o

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	14. Revealing The Truth

Second to last chapter until the end :)  
>I'm soon going to laugh at myself for making Aizen an uncle…'Uncle Aizen'…pfft hahaha<p>

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Revealing The Truth<strong>

_Previously:_

_Renji chuckled. "Can't reject a friend in need!"_

_Soi Fon examined her long plaits. "Isn't it obvious? All four of us are going to go dress shopping."_

_Rangiku Matsumoto sighed. "Toshiro, you don't know what you're missing out on."_

"…_Bye." Hitsugaya hung up on the phone, and opened his wardrobe. Looks like I'm going to have to go anyways…and no, it's not out of jealousy…!_

"_Am I late?" the cool voice said._

"_Haha, I've always liked women with attitude…the name's Ggio Vega. And you?"_

"_I believe he's one of the top ten students there…" Byakuya held her hands, and started to dance. "If I were you, I wouldn't get too close to him."_

_Hitsugaya pulled Hinamori's wrist, as she spun into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Being in a position like this…makes me not want to let you go."_

•

Hinamori tossed and turned, as the same nightmare haunted her at night. Her face was sweating, and she felt as if she was suffocating. A hand then stroked her head, murmuring to her that everything would be alright. Her eyes shot open.

"Morning, sleepyhead." greeted the snowball.

"T-Toshiro!" She looked around. "This is…"

"My room. You were really tired after the dance last night, so I took you to my place because it was closer."

"Ah…" she nodded her head in thought. _That dream…_ She wiped her sweat off, and put her hand to her head.

"Bad dream?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…" she nodded.

"I'm here to listen if you'd like."

"No, it's fine…"

"Don't forget who carried you here and even gave you the bed to sleep on." Hitsugaya pressed on.

"Uh-ahahah…thank you." She sweat-dropped. Momo glanced at the clock, and saw it was 2 in the morning. "Wait, if I was on the bed, where did you sleep, Shiro-Chan?"

He leaned back on the chair he was sitting on. "Next to you, of course."

"Eh?!"

"But you were moving around so much, I woke up, and decided to sit here instead."

"…Hey, Toshiro will you listen to my story?"

"Your story? Of course." He nodded in agreement.

"R-Really?!" she looked up at him, surprised.

"I told you Momo, I'll listen to anything you have to say." He smiled warmly at her. Then he glanced at the door behind him. "Let's go downstairs. I'll make us some drinks."

•

The two were sitting on couches next to each other, and drinking hot chocolate. Hinamori held the cup tightly, letting the warmth of the drink heat up her hands. Hitsugaya threw a blanket on top of her, and simply said, "You should stay warm."

"But so should you!" Hinamori offered to share the blanket with him.

He sighed, and the two cuddled together with that one blanket. "So…I'm all ears."

Hinamori took a sip of the chocolate drink, and then she stared into the brown liquid. "I…I have this friend. And she has this boy that likes her, but she doesn't know what her feelings for him are. One day, she disappeared from his life, and he wanted to know why. Then later, she told me the reason why she left was because she was being stupid. She had received a phone call from her uncle living in a different country, and he told her he was going to die. My friend was saddened by this news because he was the only family she had left, other than her Grandfather. My friend asked the boy, 'would you miss me if I disappeared?' and he said no. She was so stupid, because she actually took it to heart…" Hinamori felt tears brimming on her eyelids. "She felt like she didn't belong here, and took the earliest flight to see her uncle before he died, and she didn't tell anyone about her leaving. She visited the hospital every day, and then…" flashbacks ran through Momo's mind.

"_Please…you can't leave me uncle!"_

"_I'm sorry, Momo…" he patted her head weakly._

"_No…god has already taken so many important people away from me already! Don't go, not like Mom and Dad!"_

"_You've always been a good girl Momo…look after your Grandfather for me." Her uncle's hazel eyes were turning blank._

"_Uncle…no, don't go…Uncle Aizen!" she screamed his name until his eyes closed, and his heart stopped beating. She clutched onto him tighter, and cried her eyes out._

"…He passed away. The last relative she had alive was her Grandpa, but he was greatly ill. My friend stayed in the country and took care of him. Her grandpa kept telling her to go back and spend time with her friends, but she insisted to stay and take care of him. However, she did feel sad and bad for leaving her childhood friend behind without a word…so she only hoped for his safety, and continued taking care of her grandfather. Years had gone by, and she had still not returned to the place called 'home'. My friend was walking back to her Grandfather's house after doing some grocery shopping, but when she arrived, she was so shocked and scared."

"_Grandpa? Grandpa?!" Hinamori shook the old man's body, which was lying on the ground. The grocery bag full of vegetables and fruits scattered across the floor. "Grandpa…?"_

Hinamori took a deep breath in, and drank some more hot chocolate. Her grip on the cup tightened. "She sat next to him on his hospital bed, wishing for him to open his eyes. The doctors said that the illness that he had been suffering had gotten so bad that they couldn't cure it. And so her Grandpa was going to die in…well if he's lucky a month. Most likely less though. She wondered why her Grandfather didn't tell her that the sickness was getting worse. When her relative woke up he told her that he didn't tell her because he didn't want her to worry anymore. He had already seen her always working hard for him and he didn't want her to get too stressed out because of him. After nearly a month, her Grandfather passed away." Momo all of a sudden felt even colder. She rubbed her arms , and snuggled into the blanket more. "My friend inherited the last of Uncle's and Grandfather's belongings…but she had no other family to turn to. Then she remembered that her friend back at 'home' had told her that she was always welcomed back because they were like a 'family'. So, she finally decided to go back to hoping that the boy was still there. She packed her belongings and used the last of her Uncle and Grandfather's money to catch a plane back. And with that money she also enrolled to 'Shino High School'; where her friend attended…"

Toshiro was gazing at her with eyes full of sorrow, but he still smiled, and he wiped her tears away with his hand. "Momo…"

"I…I wished so hard to see you again, Toshiro…and when-when I found out you were in the same class as me, I was so…" she was choking on her own words because of her crying. "I was so happy…!"

"I was too." Toshiro patted her back. "Need a shoulder to cry on?"

"No…" she shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not a kid anymore…"

Hitsugaya smirked, and watched her cry by herself. "Are you sure…?"

She put the cup down, and hugged him tightly. "No, I need a shoulder now…!" she cried harder.

He chuckled, and hugged her back. "That's not my shoulder, that's my chest." He had some tears in his eyes, but he was thankful they were hugging, because he didn't want her to see such a sad expression on his face.

Momo kept apologizing, and saying his name while crying, and he just silently nodded and stroked her head. It seemed like the two stayed like that for hours, until Momo fell asleep.

Hitsugaya sighed, and laid her down onto the sofa. He took the cups and washed them, then looked down on his pajama shirt. "Soaked…" he groaned, and went up to his wardrobe for a new pajama shirt. "She's still the same crybaby as ever…"

He closed his eyes, and remembered the day of her disappearance. Then smiled sadly, and went back to where Momo was sleeping. He sat next to her, and moved her head so that it was leaning on his shoulder. He pulled the blanket up around them, and he soon drifted to sleep.

•

The peach's eyes opened and she looked around. "Did I fall asleep…?" she noticed she was on the couch by herself, and she looked at the clock. It read 11:10 AM. "Oh my…I'm late to school!" She jumped off the couch, and ran into Toshiro's kitchen.

"Hey, good morning. Why the rush, Momo?" he smiled at her, as he laid two plates of a good looking breakfast onto the table.

"Wha-How can you be so calm?! We're late to school."

"I'd check again if I were you, Nomo." He untied the apron he was wearing.

"…Huh?" she looked at the calendar. "Toshiro, what day is it today?"

"The 15th." He replied, sitting down, drinking from the mug.

Hinamori's finger moved around, looking for the 15th on the calendar. "15th, 15th, 15th…oh."

"Yeah." He replied.

"Ohhh…"

"That's right."

"OHHHH!"

"So you do have a brain after all."

"It's the weekend today!" she smacked her forehead.

"Well, I would find it very illogical if they had a late school dance on a weekday with another weekday the next day."

She plumped onto the chair opposite the teenager, and looked at the food. "You're…a really good cook."

"I try." He smiled.

The plate had sunny side up eggs, with toast and some bacon. "Itadakimasu!" she clapped her hands together, and ate the food.

Hitsugaya watched her eat, amused. "Haha, you have some egg on your face."

"What? Where?" she blinked.

He grabbed a tissue, and wiped it off for her. "Here."

She blushed, and she wondered why her heart was beating so fast. "H-Hey, Shiro-Chan…"

"Yes?"

"What do you think of…love?" her pink blush didn't fade.

"Hmm…" he put his knife and fork down, and thought about it. "Well, I'm currently IN love, so I suppose it's a good thing?"

"So, you believe that out there, there's always someone for everyone?" she looked at him.

"Yep. I mean, look around, Hinamori. People may say 'it's a small world' but you've got the whole world full of many different people."

"And you think you've found the 'right one' already?" she sat back in her chair.

"Of course. She's sitting right in front of me." He grinned.

"Don't joke around." She closed her eyes, hoping that the weird fluttering feeling would fade away.

"I'm serious, you know my feelings for you already." He leaned on the table.

"B-But how can you be so sure?! It could be Rangiku, or someone else!" she stammered.

"Oh please, no one in their right mind would want to date Rangiku." He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I'm so sure because _I know_."

"Eh…but how do you just _know_?"

He stood up, and took her plate, and his to the sink. "You know, they say if you see angel wings on someone's back, even for just a glimpse, it means they're your soul mate." said Toshiro, calmly. "And I don't know if I'm going crazy or something, but I'm pretty sure I saw a pair of wings when I first met you."

She blushed, and thought to herself, _Did I ever see those wings on Toshiro's back…?_

Hitsugaya finished cleaning, and started to put his shoes on.

"Going out?"

"Yeah. I'm just going to buy some more groceries. Can you pick up my mail for me while I'm out?"

She nodded. "Sure. By the time you get back, I'll probably be at home."

"Got it." he looked back at her one last time, then left the house.

•

Hinamori changed, and went to collect Toshiro's mail. She flipped through the envelopes, and saw that most of them were just rubbish. But then her eye caught onto a small pale pink envelope. It was addressed to Momo. "Hah? Did the mailman put the letter in the wrong mailbox? Oh well." she took the mail inside, and then locked his house up, keeping the pink envelope in her pocket. She then walked back to her place, sat down at her desk in her room, and examined the envelope. _I wonder what it's about…_

Momo turned the envelope around, and saw a tiny chibi drawing of Hinamori on it. She laughed, and opened the envelope. Inside was a letter with fine dark pink writing. She blinked._ This is exactly like the time I left that blue envelope behind for Toshiro…_

Carefully, she unfolded the paper, and stared at the words. She read over them three times.

_I don't know if you'll ever come back, Momo, but I just want to let you know a few things… I miss you, I can't stop thinking about you. I don't know what to do without you...you're always on my mind. I feel calm when I'm with you. Please...I don't want to lose you...I'm sorry for lying. But you're already gone, so I suppose it's too late to say these words. But… even if we're apart, we're still gazing at the same sky.  
>I'll be waiting for you.<br>-Toshiro_

Momo's hands trembled, as her tears dropped onto the paper. "Shiro-Chan…" she knew it was his handwriting, but it was slightly messier than usual, probably because he wrote this when he was still a kid.

She sniffed, and hugged the letter. "I'm sorry I didn't realize it before…"

•

Hitsugaya finished grocery shopping, and he went back to his place first. He noticed Momo had picked up the mail like he said so, and she wasn't at his house. He smiled and wondered if she had read the letter yet. He placed the groceries on the table, and grabbed the plastic bag full of peaches. He walked to her place, and opened her door quietly. Soundlessly, he paced down the corridor and paused before her bedroom door. The door was the same plain white and she still had a sign shaped as a peach. In pink letters, it read 'MOMO'.

Toshiro glanced down at the plastic bag of peaches and smiled a bit. Slowly, he put his hand on the doorknob and turned. "Momo? If you're in there, I'm coming in."

_It's just like that time…that day of her disappearance._

He opened the door, and he was actually expecting for no one to be in there, but he was wrong. Hinamori was sitting at her desk, crying over the pink letter. She turned to face him, and mouthed the words: _I'm so sorry._

He just smiled, and lifted up the bag of peaches. "Let's eat them together like we did when we were younger?"

Momo nodded, and walked over to him, she held his hand, and he took her down stairs.

"Hinamori?" his turquoise eyes looked at her.

"What is it?" she didn't look up at him, she kept looking at the ground.

"Want to know something else?"

"?"

His smile was like gold, and his voice was dreamlike. "Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over."

**-End of Chapter 14-**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Itadakimasu-Thanks for the food

•

And the next chapter is the last chapter! I think it might be shorter :/

Well, I hope you guys have liked it so far :D

Bye now~!

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


	15. All Stories Must Come To An End

Final chapter of the story~ Savour it guys :D

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: All Stories Must Come To An End<strong>

_Previously:_

"_I…I wished so hard to see you again, Toshiro…and when-when I found out you were in the same class as me, I was so…" she was choking on her own words because of her crying. "I was so happy…!"_

_Hitsugaya smirked, and watched her cry by herself. "Are you sure…?"_

"_What do you think of…love?" her pink blush didn't fade._

"_I'm serious, you know my feelings for you already." He leaned on the table._

"_Oh please, no one in their right mind would want to date Rangiku." He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I'm so sure because I know."_

_She blushed, and thought to herself, Did I ever see those wings on Toshiro's back…?_

_His smile was like gold, and his voice was dreamlike. "Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over."_

•

"Come on, Momo-Chan. It's been a whole month already! How long are you going to keep the poor guy waiting?" Rangiku folded her arms.

"He…He said I could take my time…" the peach mumbled.

"He said take your time, but he didn't say take forever!" the beauty tapped her foot, impatiently.

"But Rangiku-San, I just don't know if he'll…"

"Accept? Why would he reject you?! Your feelings for him are so obvious, it makes me want to cry not knowing you two aren't together yet!"

"Well, what about you, and Ichimaru?!" Momo tried to change the direction of the spotlight.

"E-Eh?! What about us?!" Matsumoto retorted.

"Don't act like you don't know…it's pretty obvious that you two have known each other for quite a long time now." Momo grinned.

She sighed, and whispered in Hinamori's ear, "Okay, fine, we recently started dating…"

"Seriously?!" Momo jumped back.

"Seriously." Rangiku nodded. "Which is why…" She grabbed Hinamori's hands, and started to swing their arms happily. "…You should also get together with Toshiro already!"

Momo glared at Rangiku. "We'll see."

"What? It's not like you hate the guy." She murmured.

"Yes, but I'm uncertain as to whether I actually love him…" Momo exhaled slowly.

Matsumoto shook her head. "I won't push you anymore, but I know for certain that you two are supposed to be together. Trust me on this one thing, Momo-Chan…he's Mr. Right for you."

•

"Alright class, since it's near winter break, I've decided to do fun activities for the last few days of school." The teacher announced.

"Hurray!" the class cheered.

"Wow, I can't believe it's already been a year." Izuru remarked.

"I know right? I can't wait to find out what these fun activities are!" Momo agreed.

"Today, we'll just be playing some games. I won't tell you what we're doing for the other days…spoilers." smirked the teacher.

•

"Shiro-Chan, you're not going to join in with the class?" Hinamori approached the snowball.

"Not interested." He replied, and continued reading his book.

"Doushite?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Just because."

"But I'm playing the games too." She pouted.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that I'd join in, just because you're playing the games?"

"Hmm…maybe?" she tried.

"Haha…" He laughed, then put a straight face back on. "No."

"Oh come on, Shiro-Chan, don't be like that!" she grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the crowd of students.

"Whoa-Wait, Momo!" he dropped his book, and Momo dragged him into the class games.

•

It was the second to last day of school, and the students eagerly listened to the teacher, as they were all excited to hear what they'd be doing today.

"As you know, it'll be a different activity a day. Today, we'll be baking Christmas Cookies." smiled the teacher. "Just try not to burn down the school."

Toshiro teased Momo, "Hear that, Nomo?"

"Hmph!" she folded her arms, and turned away from him.

"Please get into partners, wear aprons, and remember, hygiene!" instructed the teacher.

"Ah, Sensei, how many cookies do we get to take home each?" asked a curious peach.

"Well, after we finish baking the cookies, while we wait for them to cool down, we'll be making our own little bags to put the cookies in. So, I'd say about…six to ten cookies each?" the teacher guessed.

"I see…thank you." She walked over to her childhood friend. "Lil' Shiro, we need to get into partners."

"And so…?" he tilted his head to the side.

Hinamori linked arms with him. "You'll be my partner, right?" she smiled cheerfully at him.

He ran his hand through his hair, and shifted his gaze elsewhere. "You really don't give me a choice to say no to that…"

•

**Later…**

"BEDWETTER MOMO, YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!" Toshiro yelled, as he tried to correct her mistakes.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that was the salt; I thought it was the sugar!" she apologized.

"I knew partnering up with you wouldn't be a good idea…" he grumbled.

"Hey, I can cook some things well! Like omelette!"

"Yeah, but sometimes you can cook the most inedible things in the world." He glared at her.

"That's not true!"

"Look, are you trying to give everyone food poisoning, or are you trying to create an explosion in the kitchen?" Toshiro asked her, bluntly.

"Neither!" she responded.

"Then follow the recipe's instructions!" he threw the recipe book at her.

She sighed, as the book hit her face. "Hai, Hai…"

•

"Well…miraculously, the cookies seemed to have turned out normal in the end." blinked Kira.

"Sheesh, you're a great friend, Kira-Kun." Momo muttered. "Anyways, I'm sure they taste just fine!" she picked up a small cookie, and was about to pop it into her mouth, until someone held her hand, and redirected the cookie into their mouth instead.

"Heh…you're right, Momo, they taste pretty normal, even for your random skills in cooking. But I suppose they turned out alright, because I was your partner." Hitsugaya swallowed the piece of baking.

"I was going to eat that one!" she glared at him.

"Haha, my bad." He chuckled, and quickly walked away, before she gave chase.

•

The last day of school had arrived fast, and Momo pondered over Toshiro's confession more._ I know I've kept him waiting for ages now, and I really want to give him an answer before winter break starts, but…I don't know what to tell him._ The petite girl sighed, and opened the sliding door to the classroom.

"Ah, Hinamori-Kun, good timing. The teacher just announced to us that we'll be sewing." The friendly blonde male smiled at her.

"Really?! Sewing?!" her mood immediately changed.

"That's correct. We'll be making Christmas Teddy Bears." He pointed to the writing board. "All the information's on there."

Momo dived to her seat, and could barely sit still._ Sewing was one of her best qualities, after all._

"Alright Class, everyone gets to choose one material for the teddy, and then I'll hand out the sheet of instructions, so all of you can independently learn how to make the bears. Please be aware of what material you choose, because once you choose it, you stick with it. I won't allow any returns. Now, get sewing." The teacher said.

Hitsugaya had chosen the plainest color-White. And Hinamori had chosen a nice color-Sakura pink.

The young genius grinned competitively at his rival. "I'll race you."

Hinamori laughed. "Bring it on, Shiro-Chan!"

The two sewed as fast as they could, but still tried to make the bear as perfect as possible at the same time. By the end of the day, the two had completed the bears.

Since it was the last day of school, students had rushed out as fast as they could, excited for the break. Momo and Toshiro were left in the classroom alone together.

"Hey, Shiro-Chan?" Momo tugged on his sleeve.

"Nani?" He turned to face her.

She held up the pink teddy in front of him. "I'm giving you this."

Hitsugaya blinked, then took the bear and smiled. "Arigato, I'll treasure it." He picked up his white bear, and gave it to Momo. "Let's do an exchange; you can have mine."

"Honto Ni?" she gasped.

Toshiro nodded. "Of course."

"Arigato Gozaimasu, Shiro-Chan!" She hugged the bear.

"Do you mind if I name this bear Momo?" Toshiro tilted his head to the side.

"I don't mind at all! Can I call this white bear Toshiro as well?" she smiled at him.

"Ahaha, why not?" he returned the smile, and the two held up the bears, admiring them.

Hinamori then lowered her arms, and turned to face her childhood friend. "Toshiro…Anata ga Daisuki Desu…"

The wind blew through the windows of the classroom, and Toshiro almost couldn't believe his ears. "What…what was that?"

"I…I said I really like you!" She felt her cheeks redden.

He blinked twice, but then his brain finally processed the words clearly into his head. Hitsugaya grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into a hug. "About time. You finally said it, Momo."

And the one similar thing about the two bears that were named 'Toshiro' and 'Momo', was that the two teddies had a pair of wings each.

Hinamori leaned onto him, feelings very happy._ Those pair of wings…I think I can finally see them on Toshiro's back._

•

**20****th**** of December, Toshiro Hitsugaya's Birthday…**

"Happy Birthday, Shiro-Chan!" Momo burst a party popper.

"Geez Momo, now we have to clean up this small mess." He sighed. "But…thank you."

"You're welcome! Oh, by the way, Shiro-Chan, in five days' time it's Christmas…so I was thinking, can I just give you one present, which is both your Birthday _and_ Christmas present?"

"Hmm…sure. I'm not greedy." He replied, calmly.

"Okay, so what do you want?" she asked.

"Hold on, let me think…" Toshiro thought about it for a while, and Momo thought he had fallen asleep. Just when she was about to ask if he was awake, he said, "I've decided on a present."

"?" _Oh, so he is awake…_

"Give it to me now." He demanded.

"But I don't know what it is…" Momo felt confused.

"A kiss." he smirked at her.

"W-What?!"

"You heard me."

"But…Shiro-Chan…!"

"There's no other thing I want right now." His eyes didn't leave her.

"…F-Fine! Keep your eyes closed!" she stammered. And slowly came closer to him. _This…for some reason, I'm finding it hard to k-kiss him…_

Hitsugaya secretly had one eye half open. _Haha...she's really struggling..._

"Um...eh...uh..." _From this side? Or from the other side? I don't know what to do! I've never had to kiss someone like this before!_

Toshiro sighed. _She's too cute, how can I restrain myself?_ He grabbed the two ends of her scarf, and pulled her downwards, letting their lips connect. Hinamori was too shocked to react, and he soon gently pulled away.

"S-Shiro-Chan, you…" Momo blushed.

He chuckled, and caressed her. "You know, Momo, if I kiss you and you don't like it, you can always return it back."

"But then that would mean…!"

"Hahaha, of course, Momo!" The two laughed, and smiled at one another.

_We'll always be together…and we'll never lie and say we wouldn't miss each other ever again._

**~Fin~**

* * *

><p>Japanese Translations:<p>

Doushite-Why

Sensei-Teacher

Sakura-Cherry Blossoms

Nani-What

Arigato-Thank you

Honto Ni-Really

Arigato Gozaimasu-Thank you very much

Anata ga Daisuki Desu-I really like you

•

And that's the end :D (Cheesy, I know…but who doesn't love a good cheesy ending?)  
>I would like to thank all of you who have supported me to write this fanfiction with all your reviews, favorites, and follows. Thank you very much for reading this fanfiction, and I look forward to seeing you all read my other past HitsuHina fanfics, present HitsuHina fanfics, and future HitsuHina fanfics! Thank you so so so so so much, and farewell for now! I hope to see you in my other stories~!<p>

ミ コ ト • Mikoto

•

_See that little button down there that says 'Review'? Much appreciated if you click it! ^_^_


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